Author's note: Sorry for the late update, but I had issues with Word. Darned thing.

Chapter 5

Oh woe is me…

"Come now, Albel. You must get married and produce an heir! Do you want your bloodline to cease?" Woltar asked, frantic at Albel's news of not marrying Shizuka. Albel was sat on a chair reading, with a finger in one of his ears, as if trying to block Woltar out. After some time of Woltar ranting on and on about it, he looked up.

"Are you done yet old man?" Albel asked. A small pout appeared on Woltar's face.

"I'm serious, Albel. You must-," he started.

"I am not listening. I already tried and I failed. Big deal. Now, leave me alone," Albel said.

"What am I going to do with you? You don't just try and give up after the first failure," Woltar said.

"I realise that, but this is different…" Albel said.

"How is this different?" Woltar asked.

"Because I think I like that worm, alright?" Albel snapped, his glare at Woltar hostile, but with a hint of sadness in them.

It was true. Albel had sat in his room for days, trying to figure out why he had had so much fun with the girl. Why he had chosen the girl in the first place. He had got very moody when even the thought that it could be love entered his mind. He refused to believe such a stupid idea. I do not fall in love! How preposterous. Then…why did his heart feel so heavy when he told Shizuka not to worry about the marriage? He had laid in bed for some time, sighing and contemplating. He eventually came to the conclusion; it must be love. He hated it, but it was true and there was nothing he could do about it.

"You like Shizuka? Then, why on earth did you turn her down?" Woltar asked. A sad smile came onto Albel's face.

"Heh…did you not see the fear she had in her? Her fear of me? She is better off not being with me," Albel said. Woltar blinked, as he watched Albel's expression and heard his words; there it was. Albel had grown up and changed. He no longer cared for only himself.

"So, what you are saying, is that you love her enough to want her to be happy?" Woltar asked. Albel suddenly smiled a little dreamily.

"Yes…I would rather her be happy than be with me," Albel whispered. Woltar stayed quiet, unsure of what to say to that. After sometime, Woltar sighed.

"You're growing up, Albel. Your father would be proud," Woltar said.

"Heh…" Albel said.

* * * *

Albel lay around, moping as usual. Woltar was going through various other papers with pictures and descriptions of various girls that were around his age. He was not listening. He did not really want to be with any other girl; the only one he seemed to want was the one he could not be with. He sighed.

"Back off, old man. Can't you see I am not happy with this? Can't you see that I'm not in the mood?" He said. Woltar sighed and grumbled, walking out of the room. Albel rolled over onto his back and closed his eyes. Was this what it felt like to be heartbroken? Because it was awful.

Woltar came swooning back in with an excited expression and a letter in his hand. Albel looked at him in disgust.

"Didn't I just tell you to get out?!" He asked spitefully. Woltar shook his head.

"It does not matter, Albel! The wedding is back on. This is a letter saying that Shizuka has changed her mind and decided she wants to carry on with the plans," he said. Albel's eyes widened and he snatched the letter out of his hands. This was surreal. He read the letter and was silent. But she was scared of him. Why would she change her mind? Change of heart? He wondered….

"Isn't it great Albel? Now you can be with the one you like!" He said, quite happy. Albel looked up at him and stayed silent for a bit. Something was surely up.

"I don't know. It seems rather strange that she has suddenly changed her perspective of me," he said.

"Maybe time apart made her realise that she likes you really," Woltar replied.

"Huh…" He replied. He would find out soon enough.

* * * *

Throughout the next week, wedding plans were being made and Woltar was rushing around getting things ready. The wedding would be in Airyglyph and the party in the castle. Albel just sat around, answering various questions. He had not been allowed to see his fiancée, Woltar wanting to keep up a tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding or something stupid like that. So Albel just sat around, not seeming to have cheered up much. He still felt there was something wrong with all of this. He was happy that he could see her again, but he was also dubious and…worried?! It was all very preposterous.

On the day, he was dressed up in smart clothes and they took a carriage to the church; they had stayed in the castle the night before the wedding, and Shizuka was likely to have stayed in a nice inn. He walked down the aisle and waited at the top for the music to indicate that she had started her walk down the aisle. Then he would know exactly what the predicament was when he saw her.

The music started and he turned to see Shizuka walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress. She looked rather nervous and eventually came to be standing next to him. He stared at her for a while. He thought about how pretty she was, but shook that from his mind as he tried to work out what she was thinking. He reached his normal hand over slowly and inconspicuously, and took her hand in his. She gasped and looked up with her frightened eyes; she could not hide it from him. Just as he thought. Something was wrong.

He looked around the room while the priest went on and on through the wedding stuff. He spotted her mother; she was surrounded by a few shady looking people that would not be suspicious to anyone but him. Well, even then, they had tried to not look suspicious. He turned back and looked back down at her.

"Albel Nox, do you take Shizuka Yukiko Chizenin to be your lawfully wedded wife…" He asked, with all of the drabble afterwards that Albel was not really listening to.

"No," he replied. Gasps came from the rest of the room and Woltar was besides himself, saying that Albel needed to make up his mind. Shizuka looked positively frightened, glancing between him and her mother. Albel looked around and made a small gesture in the air with his gauntlet. Numerous Black Brigade personnel came out and surrounded the shady characters surrounding Shizuka's mother. Albel walked down the aisle and brought out his own sword upon the one nearest to her mother. He looked to her mother and gestured with his head for her to move.

"So, what was it that you threatened Shizuka with in order for her to marry me, huh? And why?" He asked. More gasps were heard and Shizuka was shocked. He had figured that out? And he was helping her? Her mother had run to Shizuka and was hugging her and her father.

"Grr…we threatened to kill her parents if she didn't comply…" one of them growled.

"For what reason? Let me guess, you were just trying to help. You're extremists. And you're pathetic," Albel sneered.

"You're bringing down the nation by being so fussy! You're the last of the great house of Nox," another muttered.

"I'll do what I like. My father would not approve of such behaviour and neither will I. Men, lock them up," Albel said. The Black Brigade took them away and Albel walked up the aisle back to Shizuka.

"Heh…well, you're free to go. Just tell me…why the hell didn't you tell me about the threat?!" He asked. Shizuka jumped a little and shook her head.

"If I did, they would have killed my mother and father," she whispered. Albel shook his head.

"Bah. I would have caught them. No matter. You're now free to go," he said. Shizuka looked down and shook her head.

"Lord Albel…could I please first have a minute to myself? I'm just so flustered…" she whispered. Albel nodded, wondering why she needed to clear her head when she was free to clear her head all she liked without all of this.

Shizuka nodded and turned quickly to bow to the King, who was in audience, and ran swiftly into a back chamber with her mother in tow. Her mother smiled at her.

"You like him, don't you?" She asked. Shizuka stayed quiet for a moment.

"I'm not sure. He's just so…much nicer than I originally thought. He did all of that and for a second time told me I did not have to do this," Shizuka whispered. Her mother smiled.

"Count Woltar told me that Albel was rather upset with having to let you go. That he said he would have rather seen you happy than unhappy with him," she said. Shizuka looked up alarmed.

"What?!" She asked. Her cheeks went a little red and she sighed. She looked back up. "I guess…I'll marry him. They have spent all of this money and…I'm starting to see another side to him. I think I can grow to like him." Her mother nodded and hugged her. They walked back in and Shizuka walked up to Albel.

"Lord Albel…do you still want to marry me?" She asked shyly. Albel's eyes widened a little.

"What?" He said, taken aback. "You're…actually considering this?" Shizuka nodded.

"You're nicer than I thought and I'm sorry for causing you hurt," she said. Albel just stood there, trying to take it all in. He nodded and turned to the priest.

"Let's carry on where we left, just cut out all of the boring parts," he said. The priest nodded and carried on. They said all of the things they had to and were holding hands by the end of it. Shizuka could tell he was trying not to hurt her with his gauntlet hand.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Shizuka became flustered at this part, rather nervous at the thought. Albel stood there for a moment, contemplating whether this was actually a good idea or whether he should have just run away at the start. He sighed and ducked down, touching his lips to hers. He would get used to this affection thing eventually. Hopefully. Everyone cheered and Albel took her hand, walking her back down the aisle. They were led into a carriage and they were whisked away to go and spend some time alone somewhere. Kind of like a honeymoon.

The End.

Author's note: And they all lived happily ever after. Except Fayt, who still has a 'but' problem. If you don't know what I mean, you were obviously not bored/mocking enough to notice how many times our favourite blue haired UPC ruler of the earth says the word 'but…!'

I have contemplated an epilogue. I may do one if ideas come to mind. If not, it's still a happy ending.