Lovely Understanding
Written by Rap's: ([email protected])

This is that fanfic about Emily and Albert I mentioned earlier. On a bout' of ginger ale I managed to finish it; and so decided to put it up here on ff.net like I said I would! This story is simply a cute little interlude of sorts between my Angel and Emily; of which is through her POV and details some of her thoughts about becoming a queen. Er- and coming to Serdio too! I KNOW Emily is a rather minor character... but there was always something about her I liked. I figured I should do SOMETHING concerning these two- and so....

Well- Please R&R? Heh? Maybe?



***

Simply time will
answer wonders often gone
and forced through wrong but
even still the questions
will so softly find answers
on all your smiles.

'Lovely understanding.'
(Me and my damned poems... ^_^)


***


Emily smiled broadly.

She'd never seen the moon quite like this before. Not Urios, the beautiful blue light that had once been overshadowed by the moon that never set. It's surface appeared almost silken; as if the orb was made purely of water and crystal. In her younger years, eagerly standing aside Fester and his massive telescopes, the princess had been able to see only the most vagrant, hazy outline of Endiness' second moon.

Now it was the giant of the sky, and Serdio's bright starlit nights framed the hovering circle.

With something like a sigh, Emily gently folded one arm over another and delighted in the chilly air that surrounded her. Next to Tiberoa's hot, often unbearable climate, this was a very welcome change. With another glance at Urios, she gently felt her thoughts remind her that it probably 'was' best to return inside. Enjoying the cold of an approaching winter or not, Emily didn't exactly 'favor' the thought of catching the flu. She turned her head then, absently bending to scoop up a handful of papers she'd been scribbling on for some time now. They were star charts; detailed, accurate, and impossibly thorough.

~Well, I need to be as precise as possible. This is a new sky, and I do so enjoy pattern folding!~

Astronomy was a passion you needed to be devoted too. Astrology was a hobby that required just as much dedication.

Emily thumbed through her notes, looking up at the moon once again as she read a brief passage regarding Urios that night. (Of which the blonde had written, of course.) By gods, it seemed to get brighter each time she saw it; a new experience every time. Quietly smiling, her left hand moved to fold the garden telescope back on it's axle base, and she turned then; the night's notations tucked gently under one arm.

~I do wonder what Fester might think of these...~

The garden courtyard of the castle Indels was a small, but utterly beautiful display of flowers and tree's that reached high above into the velvet black sky. In the year since her arrival here, with the war over and lives rebuilt, or rebuilding... Indels had turned from it's fort-like appearance to something just slack of a miniature village onto itself. Comforting, pleasant and always peaceful. Heavens knew they *had* needed to remodel just a bit. Although large, the castle was built with an almost come one-call all demeanor. Oh, the halls were bright, bold, and often vacant enough; proud white marble and stone... but it did not seem like one could have much privacy themselves; save your retiring to the royal bedchamber.

Smiling again, the young queen watched her thin shadow trail across the cobbles below in time to her steps; and then altogether vanish a moment. Inside now, Emily pulled closed the delicate glass doors that lead into the gardens. She watched the brambles outside sway lightly a moment, trying to catch the direction from which the wind was coming.

Well, as her husband had said with an exasperated grin: "...We're going to need a bigger room."

She couldn't help but chuckle at that. The man lived in one of two places; his study, and... his study. When they had expanded a bit, Albert didn't seem to know how to handle the space. For long, anyway. There was always a new place to put a book or two now, and that suited him just fine.

"Majesty?" A voice gently lifted from behind her. Emily started and turned, cool violet eyes gracing over the knight before her.

"Derrick!" She nearly giggled. "You startled me!"

"Ahhh...." And he stilled. "So I did! Heh!" A deft hand shot up to his chestnut hair, absently taming the frazzled strands. "Pardon me, Queen Emily. Didn't mean to and all... but I was just going to ask why your up so very late! All the castle has gone quiet, and I couldn't help but notice you..."

Staring into the brisk hall around her, Emily blinked at that. Was... everyone really asleep? How long had she been in the courtyard? With a touch of surprise, she burst; "Late? But it can only be five or so marks past ten!"

Derrick grinned. His deep blue, black and white armor gave a light shimmer in the moonlight as both arms crossed. "I think you've lost track of yourself, m'lady. It's quarter mark till 2 now!" And the smile grew more broad as Emily stood before him- shocked. "Don't worry about it though..."

"I..." and Emily gently shifted her long white dress, hands poised on both hips. "I... guess so. Hah...! And no one even had the grace to tell me?"

Derrick just shook his head, brown eyes laughing. "Well, Albert said you looked 'deep in concentration' so HE didn't want to disturb you, and the rest of us crazy knights figured most of the same. Hell, if ANY of us could figure out half of what you see up there..."

He pointed at the sky beyond the doors aside them with flourish, and then stooped down a moment.

"... Get some rest, Emily." Derrick said in mid bow, then rising to begin around her. "I'm going to get some sleep myself. It's good stuff! Even more so when you've got a lovely woman waiting back in-"

"Oh- go go GO!" The blonde interrupted, laughing, and shooing him away. "Damned Knight!"

"I'm goin'! I'm goin'!" And he did, boots echoing briefly along the floor until both they and his frame vanished behind a door at the end of the hall. He pulled it back open a moment later, waved to her impishly, and then ran back through the entrance when she advanced on him with both arms raised in mock-hostility.

Another thing she enjoyed greatly about Bale, Indels, and it's population was that the proverbial line between 'prince' and 'pauper' came clearly nonexistent. Her father had always held certain... preconceptions that sometimes irritated her, but in Serdio there was no such classification. Albert considered all of his countrymen friends unless proven otherwise, and she enjoyed that. Just being able to... be herself... because no one expected her to be anything else. The equality of it all was... well.. Heartwarming, she guessed.

Emily had been met with a deal of welcome surprises such as this, and all upon simply leaving home. Maybe she hadn't realized... then... exactly how much she longed to explore other places and meet other people. All of that opportunity was open to her now. Odd, nearly. She'd expected somewhat that becoming a queen would mean becoming all the more castle-bound. Not that her choice to marry would have been effected by the such.

Sighing gently into the silence of the hall, Emily listened a moment, catching the drifts of night sounds and tender rush of water that filled the channels surrounding Indels castle. A light, nearly bitter sweet flood of melancholy overtook her a moment. Violet eyes glanced briefly at her Star notations.

~It's taken awhile, but I think- that over these past few months- Im beginning to understand my own 'growing up'. That im not a princess anymore.~

She knew the thought may have not made sense to some, but it did to her, and it would to Albert- of course. He'd been forced to come of age at 6 years old. Her ceremony, long ago as it seemed now, had once been all she could ever wait for. Her father had always said that 'THAT' day was the day she would be considered a woman. As if it could be planned and predicted. It had taken her will and a memory's love to make her... understand.

Memory...? and Emily giggled softly. Albert was hardly a memory; even when she had 'first met' him upon awakening from that drawn year's sleep. The stars had told her long before that *this* man... the sullen little boy that had visited Tiberoa briefly in his youth, was her chosen. Even when she was seven years old, looking up at him shyly, she knew what she couldn't understand just then.

Wonderful... it really was probably 3 in the hell-damned morning by now. She needed to get to sleep.

~Alright! Alright then!~

Navigating her home was interesting enough in the daylight, nevermind trying to find your way during high Night. Still, she surprised herself slightly... before the blonde had time to consider which hall was what, her legs had naturally brought her up upon the staircase in the grand chamber. She studied the lanterns that hung along her path with mild interest, once stooping to gather a paper that had escaped her hold, and continued along quietly.

~It's so odd to to think about the past sometimes. Just over a year ago I never knew how much my life was going to change. I never suspected I would be involved in such a cunning plot, or trapped in some godawful dimension! I never, truly, saw outside my own perfect little world. And now that I *am* free, and now that I *am* a queen...~

Well, now she wasn't quite so naive, was she?

Emily gently reached ahead of her and pushed open a tall wooden door, the curved handle latching backwards with a quiet 'click' of motion. Instantly the soft glowing lanterns of the hall were replaced by an even more gentle hue of pale light. She adjusted her eyes swiftly to the change, and quietly entered her bedchamber afterwards. Albert would probably be asleep by now, and she would hate to wake him. Shuffling her notes into proper order, Emily lay them down on a stand near the door and yawned despite herself. Oh, she was going to hate herself in the morning. Her husband had a habit of rising at dawn no matter how long he'd been awake beforehand; tired or not. She, however, needed at least till 8 on a long night.

~And we are leaving at 6 tomorrow for Tiberoa.... que- groan!~

Ah well, it was her own fault. Part of the reason Emily had wanted to complete her charts was to have them ready for fester to view once they arrived in Fletz. Sighing, the blonde stretched her shoulders lightly and stared off into the room a moment.

Albert had been 'looking something up', no doubt. In the short foyer around her lay document after book after document; all neatly kept, but everywhere nevertheless. She grinned to herself,trailing the desk, few chairs and tidy reading area with her eyes a moment. The man just never quit, did he? Slightly bemused, the young queen walked forwards, hearing the mild echo off her shoes tip across the floor. She traveled lightly down the hall ahead, replacing one or two books to their proper areas, and stopped a moment when coming upon the bedchamber itself.

A single candle, half spent, flickered across the room from the breadth of a short nightstand. Her Husband lay near it's glow with a knee drawn to his chest and a book resting on the other; back against the headboard of their bed.

~ And I was honestly expecting him to be asleep... ~

She laughed lightly.

Albert didn't even look up until she had rounded the space of their room to touch him on the shoulder. At that, he jumped. She smiled affectionately at his surprised gaze, but that melted away into a warm expression momentarily.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Similar to her own manner beforehand, her husband blinked hazel eyes and thought a moment.

"Only Quarter mark past 11 or so...." And one hand folded the book that had rested over his leg, quickly relaxing the other and swinging himself into an upright position. Without a break in thought, one hand reached and lifted another book from the table aside them both. "Is everything alright?"

It won't be, if we continue to stay up THIS late." Emily said with a smirk. "Love, it's nearly 3 in the morning..."

He just stared- and Emily burst out laughing.

"But... we have to get up at 6..."

"Mmm hm."

"That's not fair!"

"Mmm hm. Don't argue with me- Argue with the time."

Albert flopped backwards onto the bed with an exasperated sigh; both arms moving to cover his head when a defeated moan escaped him. His display only managed to send Emily into giggles again; but she could certainly understand the way he felt. The queen of Serdio gently picked up the now discarded book and replaced it to it's proper nook on the table beside her. She then turned back to her husband and smiled.

"So we are going to bed now, right?"

Albert paused in the act of massaging his temples and made a face. One thought process skipped to another, and his eyes went wide.

"NO! I mean- not 'no' but no for me; Emily- you should go to sleep. I forgot to add that damned..." and he trailed off, sitting up again to rummage back through a few assorted papers nearby. Emily crossed her arms and bent forwards on the bed, tilting her chin to one side. Oh no.. no no NO. She wasn't about to let him get involved into something else; or hells knew he wouldn't sleep at all.

"You honestly aren't talking about that report my father requested, are you?"

Albert was now on his feet, checking documents and muttering to himself.

"Oh my.... you are."

A nod, a glance, and more muttering.

"I can't believe I forgot about this... stupid stupid stupid... Of all the information I was supposed to gather I forget the one document that-" And Emily watched him continue on like that; oblivious. Now that Serdio and Tiberoa were a bit more then neighboring countries, her father was genuinely interested in the political affairs of Serdia's hierarchy. It became irritating however, in her humble opinion, when it took over several essay long documentation's to give him the requested information.

~Oh, daddy. It's not like we don't have enough to do!~

"Albert..."

"I know- I know... this won't take long..."

"It really doesn't matter THAT much."

A blink. "It doesn't when your his daughter. It DOES when your his son-in-law!"

Emily gave his back a heavy stare, forcing away laughter once again, and gently reached out to grasp his ponytail. A light string of tugging ensued until the tall, ashen haired king turned on heel, incredulous.

"You know, It's not a doorbell..."

"It is, however, the only way to get your attention sometimes." And Emily raised both arms, draping them across either of his shoulders. If Albert was going to add anything more, he fell silent instead. For a long moment, they stood regarding each other; she with her arms loose about his neck and he quiet within her hold.

"I suppose your right..." Albert half whispered. A slight grin pulled at his mouth. "But when Zoir comes gawking at me about uncompleted papers, I'm blaming it on you."

Emily returned his expression with a quiet sigh, leaning forwards into the weight of his body and resting there. She moved her head slightly to receive the dip of his shoulder; closed her eyes. "Am I to believe this is a bad thing?"

"Hmm?"

"My having such a calming effect on that scattered brain of yours?"

A soft chuckle.

Emily wondered, fleetingly, what Lisa would think of the both of them; simply holding once another in the silence of a quiet room. Afterall, she and Nello would be wed shortly. That's why they were going to Tiberoa. Was it the same for them? Had her sister yet experienced what it was to... to have that form of bound; where all you are and any worry can be put to ease with no more then a lover's embrace? She didn't need anything else. There was nothing as comforting as he- here. With her, and the gentle quiet. Emily wanted her to know.

~You know she will.~

"Only one hour, now..." Albert said absently, looking off to their right where a small clock chimed a bright '5 am'. "Emmy, as much as I appreciate your reasoning, at this point it really doesn't much matter if we sleep or not." He gently traced a hand beneath her chin and lifted it to meet his gaze. "We'll just have to act awake, ne?"

She stifled a giggle. " Oh- I suppose. Next time I'll bring a mallet up here at a DECENT nightly hour and have Derrick bash us. One each! That'll have us both out!"

"Tch- for the next few weeks with the arm that man has!"

"Well- it's either that or we both get another 'You two don't look like you've slept much' teasing match. Courtesy of my father and the chambermaids, of course. Impatient little..." And Emily laughed when the slightest touch of color graced his smile. ".. oh!? IS it that bad!?"

"More then you know. The last time we visited I thought I'd die of embarrassment. Your father is a..." And Albert paused, choosing his words. "... Blunt man."

"He-" Emily smirked. "Just wants a grandchild. I think he expects newlyweds to be at each other first night and through High Season!"

Albert blinked. "We're not 'exactly' newly wed."

"Which gives my father more reason to pester you."

A slightly confused expression followed her voice, followed by; "Ah yes... I see your point." The young king furrowed his brows and cringed. "I'm in for it... aren't I...?"

With a sympathetic 'hmph' Emily touched both hands to either side of his face, and pressed her mouth against his a long moment. When the kiss broke, she slowly leaned back and smiled, watching those beautiful eyes and the inner warmth they held so very easily. "That's just one of the reasons I love you, my king."

He returned the tender exchange, laughing just slightly to himself, and spoke a heartfelt; "When, and only when, we're ready." Albert reached out a hand to enfold her own. "Let's get changed, hmm? If we can't say awake, at least we'll look damned good; be it passed out or not!"

The blonde let out a long- happy sigh, and nodded.

--~~ fin ~~--

Oh the SAP! LOLOL!!!! hhehe!! okay- total cuteness. I'm sorry. Just felt like writing a more 'feel kinda fuzzy' fanfic then normal. R&R if you find the time- k'dokie? I always wanna know what you guys think. ^_^ Now... who wants some Pizza!?

Dart: I do!

Rap's: *kills dart*

All: .....

Rap's: ... What!? he's been annoying me more then usual- and I had to kill SOMETHING after writing happiness like THAT! *points above*

Bye now!