Hakuowlo was a man well-known for his quick thinking and nerves of steel. In the past, he led an armed revolt against a corrupt government, established a new nation, repelled several invasion attempts by foreign countries, and even faced off against an Abh-kamu on his own. While those events were highly stressful, he rarely failed to keep his cool.

Compared to those, the situation he was in now should be nothing to him. But this wasn't about politics or combat tactics; it was an entirely different type of stressor. He could not remember the last time he had ever been this nervous.

"Big bro?"

Interrupted from his internal monologue, Hakuowlo turned towards the door of his chambers as it creaked open. On the other side of the door was a brown-haired man (elaborate). While most of the country was used to seeing his serious or solemn expression, today the former owlo of Tuskur was sporting a large smile as he greeted Hakuowlo.

"Oboro. How are the preparations proceeding?"

"Everything's going just as planned. The ceremony should be all ready to go once the clock hits the scheduled time, so there's no need to worry about that."

Hakuowlo breathed out a sigh of relief that he didn't even know he was holding in once he heard the news. There were a lot of moving parts involved, after all, and the last thing he needed was for something to go wrong. He placed a great deal of trust in his friends and allies who were organizing the whole event, but he wanted today's event to be as perfectly executed as possible. Not just for his sake, but for hers as well.

"Ah…that's good to hear. Thank you for all you've done today. I am in your debt."

Oboro laughed and slightly shook his head at that remark. "After all you've done for me and Yuzuha, I think I'd still owe you a million favors before you'd be in any debt to me. I'm honored to be of service."

Finally letting himself smile a little, Hakuowlo nodded. "Thank you. I'm very grateful for your help."

"Any time. But big bro…" Oboro's expression became a bit more serious as he looked at his friend. "You don't look so good. Are you feeling alright?"

If Oboro could tell just by looking at him, it had to be written all over him. Hakuowlo turned towards the mirror in his chambers, checking to see if the nervousness he was feeling was as obviously visible as he thought. Unfortunately, it was—the tension in his face was palpable. Especially so now that he didn't have his mask anymore.

"I think so. I'm think I'm just getting a little anxious is all."

"I guess I can understand that, given the circumstances. After all, in a matter of hours you're going to be a married man, aren't you?"

Hakuowlo suppressed a grimace, feeling an equal amount of happiness and anxiety swell up from within him at that remark. "Indeed. It's been a long time since I felt this nervous."

A third voice rang out in the room, signifying the appearance of another of Hakuowlo's close friends in the door to his chambers. "You've nothing to worry about, my liege. I can all but guarantee you that Lady Eruruu is much more nervous about all this than you are."

Hakuowlo chuckled at that, knowing that the Warmaster of Tuskur almost certainly spoke the truth. "You're probably right about that. Is she doing alright?"

"From what the twins have told me, she's getting ready in her room with her bridesmaids at her side," Oboro interjected. "I don't think she could be in better hands at the moment."

While he wasn't capable of not worrying about his fiancé, Hakuowlo visibly relaxed at that report. If he was this stressed out, he didn't want to think about how Eruruu must feel right now. It would only be a short while before the ceremony began, after all, and they had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

"Indeed," echoed Benawi as he stepped into the room. "Just as the Mikoto and her sister are there to support her, Oboro and I are here to support you, my liege. Are you in need of anything?"

"No, I don't believe so. But you don't need to call me 'your liege' anymore, Benawi. It's been decades since I was owlo."

"Ah. My apologies, lord Hakuowlo. I suppose it's simply an old habit of mine."

"An 'old habit'?" remarked Oboro. "I'm no longer owlo, either, but you now refer to me by my name, don't you?"

Benawi's serious visage slipped for a moment, and he let himself show the signature smug grin that he knew Oboro sincerely hated. "My apologies, but I haven't the slightest clue as to what you mean, lord Oboro."

"H-haven't the slightest clue? Come on, we both know that's not true."

Hakuowlo knew that Benawi meant no disrespect and that it genuinely was an old habit of his, but he also knew that the he had a very difficult time resisting the temptation to have a little fun at Oboro's expense. "I'm afraid I'm not following. Would you care to enlighten me?"

"Oh, I'll enlighten you, alright…" Oboro grumbled, a scowl on his face. The Oboro from twenty years ago almost certainly would have reacted more strongly, but he was older and wiser now. He knew just as well as anybody that he was being provoked, and that this conversation wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

Hakuowlo, on the other hand, couldn't suppress a laugh at his friends' antics. Even years upon years following the sealing of Uitsualnemetia, it seemed that some things never changed. It was difficult for his nerves to overwhelm him when he had these two at his side. Perhaps this was their own special way of supporting him when he needed it.

"Young master! Lord Hakuowlo!"

The brewing argument between himself and Benawi quickly becoming an afterthought, Oboro turned to address the two messengers appearing in the door. "Dorry, Guraa. I assume it's time for the ceremony to begin?"

"That is correct, young master,", the twins said in unison. "Please follow us."

Taking a deep breath, Hakuowlo slowly rose from his seat. The moment he had been waiting for was almost upon him. "Thank you, you two. Oboro, Benawi, shall we?"


As Benawi had expected, on the other side of the palace, stress levels were running even higher than in Hakuowlo's chambers. Eruruu was seated in front of a mirror in her room, desperately trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach as her tail restlessly thumped back and forth against her chair.

It was only about twenty or so minutes until she would be making her appearance at the shrine. She was already dressed and ready to go but wanted to be absolutely sure that she looked perfect. Nail-biting had never been a nervous habit of hers, but it was getting difficult to fight off the urge to.

"It'll be okay," said a soft voice behind her as a brush once again went through her dark grey hair.

"I know, I know…b-but…"

Aruruu sighed, returning the hairbrush to the top of Eruruu's head for another downward stroke. This was about the fiftieth time she had told her that everything would be fine, but it just didn't seem to be getting through to her. It was a little worrying for Aruruu, to be honest. Behaving like an anxious wreck was quite uncharacteristic of her elder sister.

"No 'buts'. It's fine. Ku has everything under control."

Eruruu took another deep breath in another attempt to calm herself down, being met with just about as much success as the last hundred or so attempts. It was true that she'd be hard-pressed to find someone to organize the ceremony better than Kuon, but for some reason everything was just so nerve-wracking.

"S-sorry…you're right, I know you're right, it's just so—"

She flinched as the hairbrush caught on a tangle in her hair, undoing it in the process and continuing to smoothly glide downward. Before she went to bed last night all she could think about was how excited she was for her big day, but right now she felt like a ball of nervous energy that she had no idea what to do with.

"It's just…I've been waiting for today for a long, long time, and…"

She could sense Aruruu nod behind her as the brush continued to course through her hair. "Mhm."

"I'm so happy, but it's so scary at the same time, and I want today to be perfect, and…"

"Mhm."

"What if something goes wrong? What if I mess up and say the wrong thing, or trip and fall on my way there, or—"

"Sssshhhh", Aruruu shushed her sister. "You need to relax."

Eruruu's face twisted into a small pout, reminiscent of the days when she was younger. "I know that! I've been trying to relax for the last few hours, but…but I…"

It was only when the sound of Aruruu's hairbrush being placed on the table reached her ears that she realized it hadn't been in contact with her hair for several seconds. "All done."

Briefly snapping out of her worries, Eruruu's focus turned to the reflection of herself in the mirror. While she normally wore her hair in a low ponytail, she had let it down for the ceremony today. With Aruruu's help, her long hair was now neatly let down, straighter and orderly than she ever would have managed on her own. Not a single out-of-place stray hair was visible. It looked even better than she had hoped for.

"Do you like it?"

"Wow, this…this looks great! When did you get so good at styling hair?"

Aruruu nonchalantly shrugged. "Lots of practice on Mukkuru. Yours is easier to work with."

Unable to stifle a giggle at the thought of her sister giving the large white beast a makeover, Eruruu turned in her chair to express her gratitude. "Thank you, Aruruu. I love it."

"You're welcome."

Despite the small smile of satisfaction on Aruruu's face, the look of slight concern in her eyes didn't escape Eruruu. "Thanks for being here with me. Sorry if I'm worrying you, it's just…I'm really, really nervous."

"S'okay. You're getting married. That's normal. I'd be nervous, too."

Married. That word echoed again and again in her head, each repetition bringing a surge of emotions out of her heart, but the predominant one was joy. She had been dreaming of this for so many years.

Ever since she became a young woman and her world turned upside down with the formation of the country of Tuskur, there was only one man she could see herself spending her future with. She waited for almost two decades for him, convinced that he would come back to her. And now that he had, her dream was finally coming true.

She glanced at the clock in the corner of the room. She probably only had a few more minutes to collect herself before it was time to make her appearance. The only thing she had left to do was to figure out some way to get rid of the butterflies in her stomach. If she knew she'd be this anxious, she would have made herself some—

A knock on the open door interrupted that thought. "Mother?"

Kuon, the owlo of Tuskur herself, was standing in the doorway, holding a platter with some cups on it. And judging by the unmistakable smell coming from them, she knew exactly what Eruruu was going through and had come prepared.

She stepped into the room and placed the platter down on the table next to Eruruu. "Everything's all set for the ceremony, so I figured I'd make you a cup of tea. You look like you need it."

"Oh, you're so sweet, Kuon. Thank you."

Grasping the teacup handle and bringing the cup to her lips, Eruruu took a sip. The familiar, calming taste of chamomile splashed over her tongue. A soothing drink like this was exactly what she needed right now, and Kuon's tea was always a treat.

With a satisfied sigh, she placed the cup back onto the platter. "Excellent as always. Your tea never fails to impress."

"Glad to hear it. I'd be surprised if it wasn't great, since you were the one who taught me how."

Eruruu felt quite a bit better after a cup of tea and seeing Kuon's smug grin, but she still felt the butterflies. After all, it was only a matter of time until—

"Ku, Aru, Eruruu!"

The sound of light footsteps running through the hallway outside disrupted their conversation. As the sound drew closer, a voice rang out from the hall. Shortly afterward, a young woman with black wings entered the room. "Big sis said it's just about time to start. Are you all ready?"

Taking several deep breaths to steady her pounding heart, Eruruu rose from her seat. "Y-yes, I think so. How…how do I look?"

Camyu did a quick once-over of the bride-to-be with her eyes, then nodded in approval. "Beautiful. Really beautiful. That hairstyle looks good on you, and the dress is gorgeous. Uncle won't be able to take his eyes off you."

Eruruu's cheeks slightly tinged red at the enthusiastic compliment, but she rewarded Camyu with a beaming smile. "Heheh…thanks." She glanced back at Aruruu with a thankful expression. "I had the best possible help with everything, after all."

Aruruu merely smiled and nodded. "Yup. It's time to get going now, sis."

Kuon grinned, punching her palm with her other fist. "Alright, let's go. Time to make this a wedding for the history books!"

Eruruu returned her gaze to Camyu, who was mirroring Kuon's grin. "Well, there you have it. Let's be off."

"You got it. Right this way!"


While the grand ballroom of the palace was not commonly used, today was a very special occasion. The marriage of a member of the royal family was not a common occurrence in Tuskur – in fact, this was the first royal wedding since the country's formation. As such, a fancy room in the palace made for the perfect wedding venue of choice.

In addition, the palace had been slightly opened to the public for the wedding. Kuon and Oboro had enough foresight to ensure there was enough priority seating for other members of the royal family and their friends, but the ballroom was otherwise near capacity with Tuskur's citizenry, and excitement was in the air.

Seating took up most of the ballroom, but at the back of the room a small altar had been temporarily erected. Standing at the altar was a blonde woman with white wings, waiting for the signal to begin. On either side of her were two doors – one intended for the groom, and one the bride.

At the sound of one of the doors opening, Ulthury's ears pricked up and she glanced in its direction. Guraa had poked his head out, giving her a thumbs-up to indicate that Hakuowlo was prepared. She nodded in appreciation, and he closed the door, his message having been received. As soon as one door shut, the other one opened – this time revealing Camyu, who waved at her sister that everything was ready. The stage was set, and everyone was ready. It was time to begin.

"Excuse me. May I have your attention, please?"

The loud voices of the crowd quickly faded away into no more than mere whispers as the wedding's officiant began to speak. "We are gathered here today to celebrate a joyous, momentous occasion: the union of a man and a woman very dear to our country."

Ulthury paused for a moment, mentally checking herself to make sure she had her speech down pat. She had never acted as a wedding officiant before and she wanted to make sure it went off without a hitch, so memorizing what she needed to say beforehand was a necessity.

"Ever since before Tuskur was first founded, their love has never faltered, never waned. No matter what happened, without any regard for the hardships and difficulties experienced during our nation's formative years, it has stood firm and unwavering."

As Hakuowlo listened to Ulthury's speech through the door, he could feel the nerves beginning to come back, but a quick pat on the back from Oboro stopped them dead in their tracks. "Compared to the wars and battles we've fought, this is nothing. You've got this, big bro."

Clearing her throat to give herself another brief respite, Ulthury continued. "A true testament to the strength of their bond, though, is that it would not weaken even with the two being separated for years and years. To be able to maintain such a connection through such a long period of absence is highly unusual…yet whenever his name came up in my conversations with her, her eyes always held the same light and affection that they did when we first met almost twenty years ago."

Behind the door on the other side of the room, Eruruu listened intently, feeling unexpectedly embarrassed by the gratuitous praise Ulthury was giving their relationship. It wasn't until Aruruu gently grabbed her arm that she realized she was slightly trembling. "You're going to do great." Taking a moment to composed herself, Eruruu mouthed a silent thanks to her sister and resumed listening closely to Ulthury's speech.

"It is a great honor to be standing before you all today, celebrating the beginning of a marriage borne from the most powerful love I have ever seen. And so, without further ado, please allow me to introduce them. Would the groom please enter?"

At Ulthury's request, Dorry and Guraa opened the door and held it for Hakuowlo to step through. He briefly hesitated but stepped out with some encouragement from Oboro. "Now get out there and show 'em what you're made of."

The previously quiet crowd began to stir with murmurs and hushed conversations as Hakuowlo emerged and moved towards the altar. He was dressed in a black kimono with a white trim and matching black pants, not unlike his normal attire but with different colors for the special occasion. He was only just able to hold back a grimace as he realized how many people were in attendance. It didn't bother him but having this many eyes on him in this setting was a tad bit uncomfortable.

"I first had the privilege of meeting Hakuowlo around twenty years ago, mere weeks after the founding of the nation of Tuskur. On my first visit to the capital as a representative of peace and good will from Onkamiyamukai, I was immediately impressed by the nature of his character. He did not have the ego, the arrogance, or the entitlement that was unfortunately common to many owlos of that period. What he did have was kindness, compassion, and dedication to his people."

Now that he thought about it, it really had been around two decades since he had met Ulthury. He slightly smiled to himself as he thought about how quickly time flies when one is sealed beneath an underground shrine.

"Hakuowlo is a man who instead demonstrates many of the most important characteristics of the ruler of a nation. He is kind, calm, and caring, yet brave and wise beyond his years. He is a man who greatly values peace yet would not hesitate to place his life on the line in battle to defend his country and the people he loved. In no small part due to this, I made the decision to stay in Tuskur. And after seeing how my little sister got so attached to him and his family, how could I possibly leave?

A small bit of laughter came from the crowd at Ulthury's remark. Even Hakuowlo himself chuckled, fondly remembering how he had first met Camyu when he found her asleep in his bed, and how she quickly became attached to Aruruu and Yuzuha.

"He is a man who was, and still very much is, loved by his country and his people. At first, I very briefly wondered how a man like him did not have a wife or a lover when I first met him. But I quickly realized the reason once I witnessed how he interacted with one particularly special girl, and the unmistakable bond between them. A bond that will be clear as day to anyone who sees them together, and a bond that will soon be forever immortalized by this ceremony. Now…would the bride please enter?"

Hearing Ulthury's invitation behind the door, Eruruu felt her muscles tense up. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself, and stepped out into the ballroom.

As soon as she entered the room, the murmurs stopped, and the audience was awed into silence by her appearance. Instead of her normal conservative attire, she was clad in a simplistic, yet beautiful white wedding dress. The dress had no veil attached to it, allowing Hakuowlo to get a good look at his soon-to-be wife's normally styled hair neatly spilling over her shoulders.

Once she approached the altar, most of her nerves had disappeared. For her, the crowd was nothing more than an afterthought now. All she needed to focus on were Ulthury's words and the man before her. Hakuowlo seemed just as awed by the sight of her in her dress as the rest of the crowd, and she met his gaze with a sweet smile.

"Never have I met a kinder, gentler soul than Eruruu in my entire life," Ulthury began. "While she is an outstanding apothecary, no herbal remedy is needed to feel comfortable and at home in her presence. She is a woman of many talents, including nursing the sick, caring for children, and making the finest cup of tea in all of Tuskur. No offense intended, Oboro."

Eruruu couldn't help but giggle, imagining the scowl on Oboro's face behind the closed door. Her fiancé laughed along with her, appearing even more amused at the thought than she was.

"Eruruu is one of the most faithful, dependable friends I could have ever asked for. Her devotion and loyalty to those that she cares for is unparalleled. Even when she was separated from her loved one for years, the fondness in her heart never dissipated. Today, the love in her heart burns just as brightly as it did so long ago, and it is my greatest joy to be the one to see that love come to fruition."

Ulthury reached down to pick up a box next to the altar, taking a brief moment to pause and re-run through her lines one more time. It was the most important part of the ceremony, and she wasn't about to mess up now.

She placed the box on the altar and opened it to reveal two silver rings sitting upon a cushion. The audience watched with bated breath as the moment they had all been waiting for was about to arrive. Picking up the open box, Ulthury offered it to the groom first.

"Hakuowlo. Do you take this woman, Eruruu, as your lawfully wedded wife from this day forward? Do you promise to cherish her, in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, for as long as you live?"

With a gentle nod of his head, Hakuowlo answered. "I do." Taking great care to remove the ring from the box, he stepped forward and demurely took one of Eruruu's hands into his own, gently sliding the ring onto her finger.

As he looked back up at his bride's face, her hand still in his, he could see that her slightly watering eyes were fixed on the ring on her finger. Many couples seemed to prefer wedding rings to be golden or studded with precious gems, but Eruruu was never one for such fanciness. Some people scoffed at the fact that a former owlo would pick such a simple and basic ring for his wife, but as he watched Eruruu's lips curl into the most genuine happy smile he had ever seen, he knew he had made the right choice.

Satisfied, Ulthury moved to offer the box the woman before her and waited for the bride to take her eyes off of her own ring before addressing her. "Eruruu. Do you take this man, Hakuowlo, as your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward? Do you promise to cherish him, in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, for as long as you live?"

With a steadiness befitting a skilled apothecary, she gently removed Hakuowlo's ring from the box with her free hand. Like hers, it was a simple silver that matched her own. After slipping the ring on his finger, she lifted her head to meet his eyes and answered Ulthury's question in earnest. "I do. I always have. And I always will."

"Very well. Then, by the power vested in me and with the blessing of Uitsualnemetia, I now officially pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Without a moment of hesitation, Hakuowlo's other arm snaked around Eruruu's waist, pulling her as close to him as he could while capturing her lips with his own. After so many years of longing and waiting, their wishes had finally come true. In this moment, a new "pact" was formed between them – one that would never be broken for as long as they lived.

During his tenure as the owlo of Tuskur, Hakuowlo had delivered many speeches, led many battles, and heard many enthusiastic cheers from his people and soldiers. But now, as he held his wife tightly in his arms, he could have sworn that the roaring applause from the audience was louder and more spirited than any he had ever heard.


Gotta say, after finishing the incredible VN series that is Utawarerumono, I was pretty dsappointed to see a general lack of fan works for this amazing series. It's a shame it's not more widely known in the West. But there's no point in complaining about a lack of fics when I can just write my own, instead.

Feel-good fluff isn't really my forte, but these two are so adorable together that I just couldn't help myself!