Thank you for the reviews! Sorry if it seems like it took me forever to update. I got a little busy. But don't worry! Im still continuing this story :D I hope the story becomes more interesting if it's felt a little boring so far.

Also, today is my birthday! Sweet Nineteen! lol

Disclaimer: I do not own Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It belongs to the wonderful Hayao Miyazaki and to Studio Ghibli.

Whistle Against the Wind

Chapter 2 – The Ceremony

The sun was slowly setting over the valley, causing the grass to shimmer a beautiful shade of gold. A gentle breeze danced across the trees as the windmills atop the two large towers of the castle slowly turned. Inside the castle, a nervous, yet unusually excited, princess bustled through the many halls and staircases, eager to show her royal guest his future home.

"And this door leads out into the garden." Nausicaä unlatched the large wooden door and slowly opened it. She gestured for her guest to proceed through and he did so with a gentle bow.

"Princess! This garden…" Prince Cáel trailed off. In front of him, a stone pathway wound its way around the large garden, disappearing and reappearing as it pleased. Rose bush after rose bush lined the pathway, surrounded by many other brightly colored flowers and plants. As the sun fell deeper, a few oak trees cast their elongated shadows over the garden. "This is… simply wonderful!" Prince Cáel sat down on a stone bench that sat beneath two small, pink-leaved trees.

Nausicaä blushed as she sat down next to the prince. "This garden was my mother's pride and joy. After she died, I decided to tend to it myself."

As Nausicaä continued to sit next to this young man, a strange feeling washed over her. She had only just met him… what made her feel like this? What was it… fear? No… she couldn't put her finger on it… She just felt so… small when she was near him. What was it about him that made her feel so strange?

Nausicaä had been thinking too much before she realized that a pair of bright blue eyes were staring back at her.

"Lord Yupa! I can see the castle!" A young man with bushy brown hair excitedly raced on his horseclaw around the cliff's edge, his infamous hat bouncing on his head.

"Woah, Asbel, slow down! I'm sure Kui would like to rest a bit before you go racing down to the valley." Lord Yupa caught up with Asbel, who stopped himself from rushing off, noticing his horseclaw seemed about to pass out. "Let's walk these two on down to the river. We've been gone for almost a year, Asbel. I'm sure the valley can await our return for another hour or so." With that, Lord Yupa gave a small laugh, causing Asbel to sigh in agreement.

As the two walked their horseclaws down the cliffside, the castle came into better view. Asbel could even see the many windows that covered the sides of the castle. He knew Nausicaä must be inside one of those many windows…

"Asbel?"

Asbel jumped slightly. "…What?"

"You wouldn't want to deprive a poor, travel-worn man and his horseclaws a drink of fresh water, now would you?"

Asbel shook off the thoughts he was having. "Sorry about that…" Lord Yupa simply smiled that it was alright and the two continued their short journey into the valley.

"Prince Cáel, it is about time for dinner." Nausicaä stood up from the bench the two had occupied in the garden as they chatted about anything from politics to their favorite color. "I would be happy to invite you into the banquet hall this evening as a proper welcoming ceremony."

"Why, Princess Nausicaä, that is much too kind of you. A ceremony is really not necessary." Prince Cáel also stood up from the bench. Nausicaä couldn't help but notice he was much taller than her. Was that why she had felt that way? Because of his stature? No… it was something else… but what was it…?

"Nausicaä?"

"Oh, um, yes?"

"Are you alright, you seemed to have something else weighing greatly on your mind."

"Oh, no, no. All is well." Nausicaä held out her arm. "Shall we go down to the banquet hall?" Prince Cáel took her arm in his.

"Of course."

As the pair wound their way through the many staircases and passageways, Nausicaä couldn't help the feeling that continued to wash over her, especially when they had such close contact. She noticed he was staring ahead, a small smile plastered on his face. Why did she feel so unsettled with him, yet so flattered by him at the same time? He seemed to be the perfect prince. He was nice, caring, handsome, and someone she could talk to.

Then why was she telling herself that there must be more to this young prince than what he let on…?

Lord Yupa and Asbel had finally made their way out of the village after many, many questions from villagers on how they were, where they had gone, and what they had been doing. So many had stopped to say how glad they were to have the two of them back. Several members from the Council of Pejite had been in the village then, too, as well as Asbel's mother. After several more rounds of kisses, hugs, questions, and salutations, Asbel and Lord Yupa finally made it to the bridge of the castle, both expecting a young princess with auburn hair to come bursting through the castle's gates to greet them.

But no one came. Not even a royal attendant came to escort the two men into the castle.

"Where is everybody?" Asbel rode Kui up to the main gate and noticed a single guard sitting by the gate, apparently asleep. "Excuse me?" No answer. "Excuse me!" Still no answer. "EXCUSE ME!"

"Wh-wha?" The guard jumped up from his nap, grabbing his gun instinctively. "Who is it?" The guard squinted his tired eyes at the two men. As he squinted his eyes, the image of the man that awoke him came clear into focus, causing his eyes to almost shoot out of his head in shock. "Prince Asbel?" He violently turned his head to the other man. "Lord Yupa? You've returned!" The guard seemed lost as to what he should do. He began pacing and muttering to himself as Asbel and Lord Yupa simply looked at the guard in amusement.

But Asbel felt a little confused as to why the guard was just walking around in circles. "Can't you just tell the princess that we've returned? I'm sure she would like to talk to us."

"Oh, why, of course!" The guard turned to enter the castle but stopped quickly in his tracks. "Ah, I almost forgot. I cannot leave my post at the

moment, as we are on short supply of guards. Many of the senior guards have been invited to the celebration in the banquet hall this evening."

"Celebration?" Lord Yupa spoke this time. "A celebration for what?"

"You mean you haven't heard?" The guard sounded astonished that this was news to them.

The two men simply stared at the man in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The guard laughed at his own stupidity. "Of course you haven't heard, you've been away! Well, the princess is throwing a special welcoming ceremony in the banquet hall this evening."

"A welcoming for who?" Asbel added cautiously.

"Why, for her betrothed prince!" The guard probably said more after that, but Asbel had stopped listening. His entire body seemed to have frozen and rooted itself in the very stone he stood upon.

The banquet hall was bustling with people. Guards, royal attendants, even servants had been invited. Nausicaä walked Prince Cáel around the hall, introducing him to almost everyone they came across. Nausicaä had purposely not invited any of the villagers to the event, as she wanted to present the prince to the people of the valley in a different manner.

When the meal began, Nausicaä seated herself at the end of the center table and Prince Cáel seated himself at the other end. Mito and Obaba joined Nausicaä, both eager to talk to the princess.

"Princess," Mito began in a casual tone, "the prince seems like a fine young man. I seem to have grown a liking to him and I hope you have as well." Nausicaä stared down the table at the young prince, who continued to chat away with the guards that surrounded him. "He seems to be getting along rather well with everyone here. He really seems to be a good person."

Nausicaä sighed. "I know… he's really wonderful, isn't he?"

"Nausicaä, I can sense the trouble in your voice."

"…Obaba?"

"I have felt the concern you have been feeling around you the entire night thus far. Something about the prince worries you, perhaps even frightens you." Nausicaä opened her mouth to speak, but Obaba continued. "We all feel a little strange around people we have just met, especially if we are told

we are to be with them the rest of our lives. I know you have always had a good sense of telling when things are not as they should be, when they are not quite right. But I believe you should give the man a chance. Your heart is sending you mixed signals and that may be why you are feeling this way."

Nausicaä sat back in her chair, her thoughts going over everything that had happened that day. "Is my heart really sending me mixed signals? Am I just so overwhelmed from everything that has been going on that I cannot even tell what I am feeling anymore?"

As the guests finished their dinners, the music began to play. Instantly Nausicaä's heart began to race, for she knew she would have to dance with Prince Cáel at some point. It wasn't exactly that it was a bad thing… she just wasn't comfortable with how she felt around him quite yet… especially when they would be so close in proximity.

To knock her out of her thoughts, the one thing she was fearing happened much sooner than she had expected. "Princess Nausicaä, would you care to dance?" Prince Cáel held out his hand and Nausicaä nervously took it. "You're the princess of the valley! Why are you acting so nervous? You've fought off invaders and proved to be the prophesized one to save the world! How can you be nervous… he's just a young man!"

Prince Cáel led Nausicaä onto the floor and instantly she felt all eyes upon her. As the two began to slowly step to the music, she was surprised that Prince Cáel hadn't screamed in pain. She was blushing so hard, she could feel it searing even in her palms. Perhaps his tunic kept him from feeling the fire she was sure was shooting out of her hands. But what about the one that held her other hand? She was sure he would have noticed that one…

As Nausicaä continued to drown herself in her thoughts, she didn't notice that the people that had surrounded her only moments before began to make their way to the hall entrance where something was causing a big commotion. When she finally did realize what was going on, she grabbed the equally thoughtful prince instinctively by the hand and made her way over to the gathering.

"Well, we certainly are glad to be back!" came the deep voice of someone from the center of the crowd.

"I wish we had known there would be a celebration. We would have hurried through town quicker!" Another speaker laughed lightly at his own comment.

"I know those voices…" Nausicaä said quietly to herself. Prince Cáel glanced down at the princess, slightly confused.

"Who—" But that was all the prince could say before he felt his grip on Nausicaä loosen and finally disappear as the young princess pushed her way through the crowd.

"Lord Yupa? Asbel?"

The two men glanced over to see the blur of a princess rushing toward them. Not even a second later, Lord Yupa felt the forceful grip of the young princess in a tight embrace. "Lord Yupa! I can't believe you are back! You have so much to tell me!"

"Nausicaä! It's so good to see you again." Lord Yupa returned the hug.

Nausicaä then turned to Asbel and hugged him in a tight embrace as well. "I want you to tell me everything that happened on your journey!"

"Princess Nausicaä?" Nausicaä quickly pulled herself out of the hug she had been in with the Prince of Pejite and tried to straighten herself out.

"Oh, Prince Cáel. I have not yet introduced you." Nausicaä noticed the unsettling look that had spread across Prince Cáel's face, but tried to ignore it. "This is Asbel, the Prince of Pejite, and a good friend of mine." Nausicaä then turned to Lord Yupa. "And this is Lord Yupa, a friend of my family for many years. Asbel, Lord Yupa, this is Prince Cáel, the Prince of Amras and my betrothed husband."

Asbel had tried to prepare himself from the very moment he learned about Nausicaä's betrothed prince. But somehow, he wasn't handling it very well.

Prince Cáel held out his hand and both Asbel and Lord Yupa shook it with respect. Nausicaä could sense the tension that hung in the air between Asbel and Prince Cáel and immediately tried to focus everyone's attention on something else.

"Well, the night is still young! There is still much more dancing to be done this evening, especially since we can also celebrate the safe return of Prince Asbel and Lord Yupa!" Immediately the crowd began to disperse and the music began to play once again. Nausicaä turned to Prince Cáel, who stood next to her, rigid. "Prince Cáel, if you don't mind, I would very much like to speak with Prince Asbel and—"

"Can it not wait until tomorrow?"

Nausicaä was a little taken back by his sudden change in mood. He had been so calm, so happy earlier. Why had the arrival of these two changed all of that?

Asbel quickly stepped in, sensing the trouble Nausicaä seemed to be getting herself into. "Princess, if it is alright with you, I would like to get some rest anyway." Asbel did his best to sound formal around a man he couldn't help but feel unsettled by. "I would hate to remove you from this grand party. Perhaps we can talk in the morning." Nausicaä seemed a little confused as to why Asbel was acting so different all of a sudden as well. Asbel bowed to the young princess and took his leave, but not without a searing glance at the Prince of Amras.

As Asbel made his way out of the hall, Nausicaä turned to Prince Cáel. "Is everything alright, Prince Cáel? You seem to have something bothering you after the arrival of my friends, especially Prince Asbel."

Prince Cáel simply answered her with a smile. "Of course not." He once again held out his hand for the princess to take. "Now, shall we finally have that dance?"

It may not have been that big of a smile, but Nausicaä knew what kind of smile that spread itself ever so slightly across the prince's face. However, it was not a caring smile or a loving smile. It was a smile of victory.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I hope this chapter wasn't too short and was more interesting.

Reviews are always appreciated! :D

-brigette (aka: Kaze-no-Tenshi89)