Disclaimer: I do not own DNAngel or any of its characters.

Hey everyone, I know I put up that author's note to set a date (which I failed to meet anyways...), well, anyways, although this took a week longer than expected, I'm finally posting the ending to the One Week 'till Marriage series, and I've also decided to create a mini fanfiction on their honeymoon. (haha... already halfway through, so it shouldn't be a long wait.) I'm still thinking of a good title for it, but for now it looks like I'm titling it, "Honeymoon Hilarity". So I'm just letting you know that that is connected to the series, just in case you're only reading fanfictions connected to the Arranged Marriage series. Anyways, I hope I haven't lost all of you (I even lost myself... I had to reread almost everything...).

One Week 'till Marriage

Chapter 4: Sunday Ceremony

"Oh no…" Riku sighed, leaning over the edge of the enclosed balcony at watching the sun climb over the mountains slowly but surely. The day had finally come. It was so quick, so fast that she had not had any time to think about anything. How had she gotten herself into this mess? She had no clue anymore. Her past was a blur and the normal girl raised in an ever-arguing family of normalcy was suddenly in the trash and the back of her mind.

She had suddenly become Riku—soon to be married to the arrogant, pervert prince—Dark Mousy. She had nothing against marriage itself, in fact, she planned to get married eventually… the one thing she had never ever anticipated was the fact that she'd be getting married to someone like Dark because of a silly bet—a game.

"Augh…!" Riku cried out in frustration and kicked the railing, a dull ringing noise resounding throughout the small area. She pressed her face into her hands and forced herself not to cry out in frustration, stifling the urge to shout and tear her hair out. She mumbled angrily into her hands and hit her hand against the railing to relieve the irritating stress.

Of course, Dark had to walk onto the balcony right on time. It seemed he always managed to walk into the most awkward of situations—sometimes crashing into them…literally. "Hey…" his voice was like music to any ordinary female, but to Riku it was nothing. "What are you doing…?" His voice held a genuine warmth to it, and Riku frowned.

She was supposed to believe that this playboy prince loved her? She almost laughed at the thought of Dark truly loving her. It was rather amusing. He was almost like a child to her with his playful attitude and explorative ministrations. "Dark, it's nothing." Riku sighed and forced herself to smile, clearly failing at it as Dark gave her a skeptical look.

"Riku…" He trailed off and his voice silenced everything. He approached her slowly. "I know I'm never serious, and I'm never perfect but what can I do…? I try to be the kind of person who deserves you but I am no good. I have cheated you into the upcoming marriage and yet I cannot bring myself to call everything off…" He twisted the sad expression on his face into a smirk, "but really, how could I? We're made for each other."

Riku huffed, all seriousness evaporating and dissipating. "Damn, why did I bother with this? This is stupid." She crossed her arms and turned away from Dark, letting out another breath of air in frustration.

"Come on! I told you we're made for each other! You acted that out perfectly! I know you aren't the type to make a big deal out of this, and I'm not the serious type. The whole sad and frustrated victim isn't your style Riku, and it won't get you out of the marriage!" Dark pointed an accusing finger at her playfully, a smirk plastered onto his face,

Riku frowned and swore under her breath, "How did you know I was acting…?" She eyed him with suspicion but ignored him when all he did was shrug and continue to smirk at her without words. "Forget it. You're right. It's not my style, and it's not your style either so let's just drop it all, and get on with it. When is the ceremony?"

Dark fixed his shirt, pulling at the edges and straightening out his sloppy appearance. "Sorry sweets, but even I don't know." Dark looked at her with a straight face and brushed the hair out of his face, looking down at her and yawning. "So why don't you ask my mom? She would know." He stretched out a little and inhaled deeply.

"Forget it. She'll call me when she wants me ready or something…" Riku frowned and resisted the urge to stomp away. The wedding was happening one way or another—Dark was going to make sure of it. Riku didn't even feel the need to bother trying to escape her odd fate—perhaps Dark's words were true.

Maybe they were made for each other…

"Hey sweets, you gonna get dressed yet?" Dark stretched out on the couch and seemed as though he didn't have a care in the world. The playboy prince could not focus on anything but the ceremony quickly approaching. He was anxious to get to the altar—but he wouldn't allow himself to show it.

"What for, so you can get a peek?" Riku said sarcastically, falling onto the bed and sighing out in relief. "You know, it doesn't even feel like we're getting married…" Riku trailed off, closing her eyes and knitting her eyebrows.

Riku, although she was much more feminine than ever before, was still far behind her girlish sister, Risa. "Ugh, that stupid dress is going to be irritating…" Riku kicked her feet back and forth and opened her eyes, shocked to find that Dark had managed to sneak up on her.

"Hey there…" Dark's voice rung as clearly as a bell—the melodic resonance causing something to stir within Riku. She froze in place and could only think of the handsome prince that lay above her. His violet eyes penetrated deep into her heart and like a single drop of ink in water—he was everywhere in moments. His hands traveled to her cheeks and brushed away the stray hairs that were in the way. His other hand wandered down to her hips, caressing her gently as he continued to whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

Riku was practically possessed by the playboy prince already, but what kinds of things would marriage bring on…?

"Dark! Riku!"

Dark and Riku nearly destroyed the bed in an explosion of nervousness and shock. Dark's mother sounded as though she were right out the door, and knowing her, she wouldn't bother to call out again, she'd come right in…

"Wait just a minute!" Dark struggled to make himself presentable, as did Riku. However, their efforts were in vain—Mrs. Mousy decided to barge right in and begin talking as though she were warning of a terrible earthquake of sorts.

"What are you two doing!" she screamed. She threw her hands into the air and lost all composure, "the wedding is in moments, and you two aren't even dressed? Oh my…" Mrs. Mousy pressed her hand to her cheek in exasperation and sighed, "this won't do… you two need to hurry up and get dressed this instant!"

The previously worry-wrought Queen had suddenly exploded into a demanding wedding planner, and both groom and bride rushed to follow orders. It seemed as though the minutes were becoming seconds, and although things were drifting back together, something about the wedding didn't feel quite right.

Nervous shouts were being thrown about the preparation room, and both bride and groom were being told what to do at every second of the wedding ceremony. Dark was overly relaxed about it, and his expressions cause his assistant to cry in worry for a ruined wedding. On Riku's side, the assistants yelling at her to do this and that were starting to worry about her mental health.

"Shut up!" Riku exploded and Dark nearly burst in laughter at his furious fiancé. He couldn't help the devilish smile that seemed nearly permanent, especially when Riku almost threw her bouquet at the young man forcing her stand straight and act more ladylike.

Some of the assistants thanked God when Mrs. Mousy came in and signaled that the wedding ceremony would commence within a few minutes, and hurriedly positioned Dark and Riku and their entrances. Dark was at the left and Riku was at the right, waiting in silence for their doors to open.

Dark was first, and when he walked through the doors Riku caught a glimpse of the enormous crowd. She fell utterly silent and her knees began to feel weak. The sound of the crowd's cheers were causing the walls to vibrate… how could Dark handle it?

When her door opened she was slow in entering through it and the cheers seemed to quiet. Everyone watched the fiancé of the Prince of the Western lands enter in an almost eerie silence.

Some whispered ill of her while others spoke as if their own dreams had come true. Riku couldn't force herself to look at the crowd, and continued walking to the altar, her head down in embarrassment.

When she stepped up to the altar, the smirking prince she expected to see was gone, and his expression conveyed nothing but utmost seriousness. Riku kept herself from frowning, and tried to keep up a serious face similar to Dark's.

Vows were exchanged and the atmosphere grew tense. Everyone seemed to be concentrating on the couple, and nobody even dared to blink. Finally, Dark slid a beautifully simple wedding ring onto Riku's lithe fingers, and before anyone could tell him to kiss the bride, he pulled her close, gave her his signature smirk and placed a kiss to her lips that made the crowd roar.

Riku was frozen, and yet no part of her wanted the moment to end. Perhaps the entire arranged marriage was never something she wanted to fight…

"Riku!" A distinctly familiar voice reached her ears, and Dark pulled away, waving at the crowd. Standing in the crowd was Risa, waving her hand high in the air and calling out to Riku continuously. She smiled and cheered her on as she pointed to the rest of her cheering section, the Harada family, Daisuke, Wiz, some of the Mousy family, and even Satoshi, who smiled gently at the sight of the wedding.

Riku smiled and began waving at them, but soon the entire crowd was waving at her. Dark looked down at his new wife, as he continued to absentmindedly wave to the crowd, and watched as her eyes lit up in happiness.

He smiled at her, but before he could gain his bearings and begin to wave at the crowd whole heartedly again, he was pulled down into a chaste kiss, "I… love you…" Riku's voice was quiet but sweet, and Dark couldn't control the blood rushing to his head. He was dumbfounded by her sudden kiss, but still, he wouldn't be Dark if he hadn't decided to sweep her off her feet afterwards.

He lifted her into his arms with the grace only he possessed, and swiftly carried her off beyond the view of the crowd…

Behind closed doors the muffled cheers of the crowd filled the air with a quiet back ground of noise, and the slight darkness of the castle's church was the perfect setting for the couple…

Riku lay in Dark's arms, her face a shade of pink. Dark stared down into her warm chocolate orbs, and his lips were mere centimeters from her ear, "Riku… I love you too." He withdrew slightly, and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle yet passionate kiss...

It wasn't the ending to an arranged marriage, or to the simplicity of friendship… it was the beginning of everything—love, hate, and everything else in between. Their marriage was on that memorable Sunday, but the wedding bells will forever ring…

End

Thank you for reading this series, I just posted the Honeymoon story arc, so if you want to read it just go to my profile and check it out!

Special thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys are the best!