To the onlooker's surprise, Janaff did not drop to one knee and propose to the beautiful blushing woman at that very moment. Instead, he lead her to the dance floor and pulled her into a hug.

"Lucia..." he whispered, her heart pounded at the name. He held her as if they were waltzing. There was no music, but the lovers swayed to their secret tune, Lucia resting her head against the Laguz's shoulder. He whispered softly into her ears, so quiet that no one (but Ulki, and he'd never tell) could hear them. Janaff began to beat his wings, drawing Lucia closer, as if he wanted them to fuse together and become one being. She nuzzled into him as they left the ground. As their feet ceased to make contact with the earth, Leanne started to hum quietly, and soon her soft soprano was joined by the voices of her brothers. The herons sang wordlessly, a beautiful melody that warmed the hearts of all present. However, anyone who looked at the white trio would have noticed that all three had tears forming in their eyes. Leanne's light soprano voice supplied vocals, a light lullaby that brought the crowd to tears. The beorc assumed she was singing a love song, but the Laguz all knew better.

Listen children, to my song
Of how we once were wronged
One and one make two its true
But love like this will never do
Wings will fade and claws will melt
For love, no dearer cost is felt
"To give is to gain" Rafiel sang softly.
"To take is to lose" Reyson supplied,
"In pleasure is pain" Naesala added, his arm around Leanne's shaking waist.
"Destiny is to choose." Tibarn half-whispered the last line.
For Lehran.

Janaff set Lucia down on the window ledge, holding her hand as she stepped into the room. He joined her, folding his wings behind him and standing a few feet from her.
"It's strange." he said after a while, "Until I met you...I hated Beorc." He stroked her cheek, "Funny isn't it? That's I'd choose to spend the rest of my life with one."
"Janaff." she kissed his cheek, "I know the feeling. I never hated Laguz, but...I was afraid of them."

Janaff smiled and pulled out a rectangular box from his pouch,
"Happy Birthday," he said softly, almost as if he were sad. She gave him a questioning look and took it from him.
"Thank you." she said. The present was about 7 inches long and half an inch deep, the sort one would commonly put a necklace in. She nodded her head in thanks as she peeled the silk wrapping off of it and opened her gift.

No necklace, but a single, long brown feather tipped with gold. She looked at it, stunned, turning it over in her slender, delicate fingers.
"This is yours..."
"Yours now." He said with a sad smile, "I wanted you to have something to remember them by."
"Them?"She gave him a confused look, "Your wings? Why?" He sat down on the bed, pulling her into his lap.
"I guess you wouldn't know." He wrapped both arms around her, holding her in place while she listened intently. "What do you know about Beorc-Laguz relationships?"
"I know that the children are Branded and that such a pairing is frowned upon by the Goddess and Society."
"Who do you think hates Branded more? Laguz or Beorc?"
"I've never really thought about it." Lucia admitted. Janaff smiled, of course she hadn't, Lucia didn't hate. She had accepted him right off the bat, paying no mind to the difference in their race.
"Laguz." He answered for her at length, "Because the Branded are the result of a curse on the Laguz parent?" He felt her tense up. In response, he squeezed her gently, comforting her and gently tracing small lines on her frame with his index finger.
"A curse?" Janaff felt his heart melt at the love and concern in her eyes.
"A curse." he restated, he didn't want to tell her this. It would upset her, but...she had a right to know. And if nothing else, it would prove how important she was to him, "If a laguz and a beorc have a child, the Laguz parent will loose their powers. The ability to shift." He kissed her lips softly, "And those of the bird tribes loose their wings."

She looked past him at his wings. They were powerful, yet graceful, each feather tipped with a light yellow, almost gold. She twisted her birthday present in her fingers, Janaff loved to fly. She couldn't take that from him, and she couldn't take him from Tibarn and Phonecis. How many times had the hawk king stated that Ulki and Janaff were crucial to the kingdom? Janaff must have seen the torment in her eyes because he pulled her chin up and stared into the soft blue orbs he prized.
"It's okay, Lucia, this is what I want."
"Is there anything we can do?"
"And still be together? I don't think so." He whispered softly, "I don't care if I never fly again, just so long as I have you."
"You do...but..." she let tears fall from her eyes, "Janaff...I can't let you curse yourself because of me..." She hugged him closer, weeping into his shirt. The hawk rolled them both on the side, lying down on the bed, facing each other.
"Do you have a better idea?" He asked. His tone wasn't harsh or accusatory, he honestly wanted a better solution. Prepared as he was to give up his wings and homeland, if there was a plan b, he'd glad hear it.

"It'll be fine so long as there's no child right?" Lucia asked softly, as if afraid of the words.
"Yea...but...doesn't Delbray need an heir?"
"Yes..." she wiped away the tears, "But I don't think that the people would accept the child of a laguz anyway. People are getting more tolerant but..."
"I understand." He kissed her forehead and lowered her onto the bed beside him.

The wedding looked like a happy occasion. To everyone not involved. All the war's veterans were playing their roles, pretending to be happy for the "loving" couple. But some weren't terribly good actors.
"Do you...Lady Lucia Delbray...." Rhys fought off his tears, "take Bastian, Count of Fayre as your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, 'til the goddess calls you home?" He said, changing the words to provide a loophole.
"I..." the elegant bride looked past Bastian, at his winged best man and bit down a sob, "I do."
"And do you, Lord Bastian, take Lady Lucia as your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold to the goddess calls you home."
"I do." Bastian's voice was soft, sad. This wasn't right.

She and Janaff had come to him late a few days after the birthday party and told him about the curse. She was weeping, and did the unthinkable.
"Bastian." she said softly, kneeling before him, burying her face in his hands, "I need...I need you to marry me."
"To Janaff?" He asked, unclear on what was going on.
"To...you...I..." she bit her lip. Janaff finished with the explanation, twitching his wings. Bastian agreed, what else could he have done? She needed him.

"You may now...kiss...the bride." Rhys read his voice getting weaker with each word, until it was less than a whisper on 'bride'. Janaff bristled just a little, willing himself to not rip the Count in half. 'Bastian didn't want this either' he reminded himself again and again, clenching his fists until he could feel a drop of blood trickle down his palms. Bastian politely pecked Lucia on the lips and led her back down the aisle. The rest of the wedding party followed suit. Once they were out of the public eye, Lucia threw herself into Janaff's arms, weeping and apologizing. Janaff cradled her to him, whispering that it was all alright, that he understood. Then he took Bastian aside.

"I'm...I'm sorry Janaff." All the Count's pretty words had left him. There was nothing but sorrow and regret, "I was...truly happy for you two..."
"I know...just...give her an heir..." Janaff said sadly, then he tried to smile, "And keep your dirty little beorc paws off of her otherwise. She's still mine."
"Of course." The sage said, " But...it still...it doesn't...this is so wrong..."
"It's the way it is." Janaff shrugged, "Its...okay...its not what she wanted...its not what ANYONE wanted. But...its what had to be done." He left Bastian then, and walked back to where the bride was weeping.

"Hey...hey..." he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck, "Don't cry Lucia...don't cry."
"I'm lying...to everyone..." she wept, "I can't be with the person I love because...because..."
"Because I'm a laguz, because a union between us would be cursed, because the people won't accept a branded heir, and because you can't stand to see me cursed." He stroked her soft blue hair, and then smiled. "But you look so good in that dress that in a minute or two I'm going to damn the Goddess' curse, damn my own wings and violate the sanctity of your marriage." Lucia laughed, then...she looked up at him and just smiled, putting her lips to his cheek softly.

"You know...Rhys made that whole thing up."
"So?"
"And Bastian and I never signed the paper."
"So?" Janaff asked again, liking more and more where this was going.
"So, technically, Bastian and I are only married in the public eye..." she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "We can't conceive a child without cursing you but..." she blushed crimson and Janaff let out a hooting laugh.
"Dear goddess I love this woman." Janaff kissed her passionately, then, he dropped to one knee.
"Lucia...would you marry m-" He was cut off by her lips on his.

The wedding was perhaps the happiest occasion most of them had attended. The guest list was infinitely smaller. Held in secret in the inner courtyard of castle Melior. The herons sang the wedding march. Janaff looked like he was about to levitate with joy as Geoffrey escorted Lucia down the aisle towards the alter where Rhys stood, beaming. Lucia blushed at Janaff, looking, finally, like a willing bride. Rhys read the matrimonial script and when it came time for the 'I do's, both Lucia and Janaff spoke the words with such sincere honesty that even Naesala looked about to weep.

'You may now kiss your bride." Rhys said happily. Janaff put his hand on Lucia's cheek, wiping away a tear from her eyes,
"You're crying again." he whispered, Lucia nodded happily.
"With joy this time." Janaff smiled and kissed her, forgetting all about formality and custom. He practically devoured her face. When the kiss broke they looked at each other, both glowing and breathless. Everyone laughed and clapped, Lucia turned around and threw the bouquet. More laughter, she turned around to see a disgruntled looking Soren holding her white roses and Ike blushing up to his ears.
"Soren why'd you..."
"It was flying at me..."
"Whose the lucky girl?" Shinon chuckled cruelly. Lucia was pleased to note that Ike's ears were a very bright red.

Authors Note: so...this wasn't supposed to end happily...but I couldn't resist. Just like I couldn't resist the possibility for light Ike/Soren-ness. I had started this out with the intention that Janaff and Lucia would just be miserable, but couldn't carry through with it, I also had the idea of Lucia marrying Bastian, and then having Janaff show up a little over a year later, sans wings. But I couldn't do it. I don't know if he does loose his wings or not in the epilogue, but because I'm completely hopeless, I choose to think that Yune took pity on them and let him keep his wings. Why am I still talking? Reviews and Criticism are appreciated as always. ^_^