Author's note: Thanks again for the reviews. I love you guys to bits! Seriously, do any of you other writers check like… every hour for new reviews after you post new chapters? I think I'm a little obsessed.

Chapter 7

For the next couple of weeks, Gaara and Ino had… well… bonded would have been the best description. The villages insisted that they spent as much time together as humanly possible. They went on picnics, hikes, movies, plays. When they were certain that they were alone, they even sparred a little. Ino, of course, was no match for the Kazekage, even though she had gotten past his sand barrier a few times. In the midst of it all, they shared a secret that had gotten them closer. During boring meetings, Ino would telepathically project sarcastic remarks to Gaara, or create obscure imitations of some stuffy speaker or representative. She would then make fun of his attempts to keep a straight face… which he did well, of course. No one suspected he was laughing inside. No one suspected he could laugh…

The weeks flew by, and before they knew it, the royal wedding had arrived. Temari and Kankaro had showed up to Silver Village. They didn't seem to suspect her true identity. She guessed her change in hair and make-up, as well as her outward personality was enough to erase Ino Yamanaka from anyone who didn't have a freakish sense of smell. Ino would probably fill them in later… sometime after she had settled in as Gaara's wife… assuming that Gaara didn't do that himself. She imagined Temari's distaste at learning the truth. Kankaro… well, Kankaro probably wouldn't care. For some reason, Ino really wanted to make a good impression on Gaara's family. She wanted them to like her.

Now, here Ino was, standing at the alter, about to walk down the aisle. All eyes were on her. All eyes were scrutinizing her perfectly made-up hair, and her exquisitely tailored white gown. Many girls were envying the extravagance of her wedding, no doubt ready to pounce on and exploit any flaw they might find. Some of the older couples pitied her for having to go through with an arranged marriage and to have to leave the home she grew up in. All these hundreds, if not thousands of thoughts swirled around Ino, and she barely paid them attention. Normally, being in a room with this many people would drain much of her focus. Today, Ino could only concentrate on her own nervousness.

Logically, there was no reason for her to feel that way. It wasn't as if Gaara might back out. Ino no longer feared exposure. She didn't need to worry about what the villagers feared. She could easily find that out. What reason did she have for feeling nervous? It wasn't just nerves either. Ino found that she felt quite… exhilarated. Beyond all logic, Ino was blissfully happy. The day would seal her fate. Ino Yamanaka would officially disappear from all but herself and Gaara… and for some odd reason, she was okay with that. She was happy, and hopeful… really, there were no words that would do justice for what she was feeling… or was it just her limited vocabulary? If she studied the dictionary from front to back, would she find a word to describe 'so happy, you could die the next moment and your day would not be ruined'?

Ino looked down the aisle to see Gaara waiting for her. The wedding was very reminiscent of a Western wedding… a trait no doubt adopted from Silver Village's trading relationships with the West. Gaara was dressed in what was probably formal attire from the Sand Village. His face was stoic, as usual. His mind was especially unreadable… as if he were making active attempts to block her. Was he hiding his own nervousness? Was he hiding his distaste? Was he happy? Was he sad? Was he hopeful? Was he anxious? It killed Ino not to know. She wished his expression would give something away. She could ask him of course… send him a telepathic message… but she could not strike up the confidence to.

Music started to play. Ino walked down the aisle, as they had rehearsed. She lowered her eyes shyly, as she had practised in front of the mirror. Time seemed to fly by as she mechanically regurgitated her vows. She barely processed Gaara's own words. Just as they leaned in for their first kiss to make the arrangement official, the door at the end of the isle flew open.

A voice called out. "Stop. This wedding cannot take place."

Ino turned toward the voice in surprise. Her world had crashed at that moment. Her shiny bubble of irrational bliss popped. A reflection of herself stood at the end of the aisle. The Ino-look-alike stood proudly… her voice commanding. She spoke again.

"That girl is not the real Princess Mai. I am."

Ino could not think of anything to say in response.

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Author's note: It's a short chapter, I know. It just seemed like a logical break. What do you guys think? I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of the weekend. I don't wanna keep you guys hanging here for too long.