The Forgotten Zodiac

Elincia smiled. "That's good, that's good, I suppose," she said. "No news is better than bad news, isn't that how the saying goes?" she asked. She finished tucking away the last of her belongings and closed her trunk. "Well, then..." she turned to her sister. "Better see if Ike can give us a hand with these, hm?" she asked. "I suppose they went to the kitchen. Or, at any rate, they'll end up there sooner or later, with Ike in charge."

Lucia assented and led the way to the door. As she stepped out into the hallway, she was shocked to see Doned and Nephenee walking about, for she'd just been thinking to herself that they should go rescue Nephenee from her room. Once Elincia had joined her in the hallway, she hailed those ahead of them.
Doned stopped walking and stepped to the side, allowing Lucia and Elincia time to catch up. "Good morning, Elincia, Lucia. I hear there's congratulations in order." This was directed at Lucia, followed by a more relevant question. "Ritz said you wanted fireworks. Do you have any idea how many? Whatever last night may have convinced you of, I do prefer to have them made before the night of the wedding."

Elincia smiled at Doned. "Well, we wouldn't need however many you used last night. Of course, I'm not sure how many that was... what am I saying? Of course, it's for you to decide, Lucia," she said, turning to her sister.

Nephenee gave the Queen and her sister a nod as they came out of the room, listening to the conversation quietly, as it did not really involve her anymore.

"I..." Lucia hesitated, unsure of the answer to his question. "I guess half as many as you used? I really have no idea, though we'd probably want to set some off earlier. The people in Melior would need to get somewhat used to them, before we set them off en masse." She continued down the hallway, smiling broadly at Nephenee. "Weren't you planning this, Elincia?"

Nephenee followed the group as Elincia headed slowly towards the kitchens, looking around for Ike as she went. Her attention was called back to the conversation as her sister addressed her. "Oh, but if I planned everything, you wouldn't be part of the fun," she said, a birght smile on her face as she looked back at Lucia. "Of course, if you elope... which I will <i>not</i> allow, by the way... it'll be no fun at all! And you must know," she said, nodding slightly to herself, "That considering your and Soren's respective stations, you at least need a showing for the public."

"Are you going somewhere sepcific?" Doned inquired. He was the only one who knew the castle layout, but he couldn't help them if he didn't know where they needed to go. "You meeting up with everyone else somewhere? I haven't seen Ike or Soren this morning. Anyone else really, for that matter."
"We were looking for the kitchens, actually. That's where we're assuming Ike and Soren would end up." Lucia sighed slightly and nodded at the queen absently. "I have an idea. You can pretend to be me, we've already proven that that works, and Ike can pretend to be Soren. You two can have the public marriage, and Soren and I could elope."

Elincia laughed. "Though I could impersonate you well enough, I think Ike would have some trouble impersonating Soren. His stature alone makes it an issue," she said, laughing again loudly as she pictured what it would look like if they actually attempted Lucia's suggestion. "I think you're stuck, Lucia," she said, smiling at her sister.

Their laughing conversation continued until they reached the kitchens, though the journey didn't take them long. Ike had indeed led Soren there, navigating by the power of his stomach and his nose. They were now seated off to the side of the kitchen, Ike with a plate full of food, being shyly queried by the kitchen staff. Ike was, at least. The staff had quickly discovered that the mage had little interest answering their questions.
The party entered the kitchens and rapidly discovered that it was impossible for them to be out of the way or unobstrusive. However, the domestic staff were delighted to have them present; and everyone present was forced, by manners, to sit at the long table at the edge of the room and eat one of the many foods being prepared for breakfast. Nearly half an hour later, everyone was able to make their way out of the kitchen to accomplish their original purpose of moving the trunks.

It wasn't too much later that they had moved everything back into the throne room, from where they'd arrived. The two got into some semblance of order while standing nearby their trunks.

"Are we all set?" Elincia asked. When the others in the group nodded, she turned to look at Marche and Ritz. "Congradulations, once again. It's been such a pleasureable visit. I do hope to return soon... and I hope you'll come for Soren and Lucia's wedding, whenever we got the details worked out."

Roderick and Nat, the two mages who'd again been selected to do the spell, stepped forward to begin, but they were almost immediately interrupted by Ritz. She pulled three ribbons out of Marche's jacket, where she had stored them. On each ribbon, two green and one blue, hung a one of the medallions, two silver and one bronze, that had previously adorned the throne room. "These are for you three." She held one ribbon out to each of the present women: the green ribbon with bronze medallion went to Elincia, the green and silver went to Nephenee, and the blue and silver went to Lucia. Engraved on the front of each medallion was a symbol in the Language of the Forest, which Ritz hurried to explain. "They're Viera charms, traditional for weddings. Yours is 'Abundance', Elincia. Lucia, yours is 'Passion'; and, Nephenee, yours says 'Devotion'. They're supposed to bless your life with whatever is written on them, though I'll admit I haven't seen any proof of their functioning."

Soren very nearly laughed as Ritz handed over the pendant, able to read it before she said its meaning aloud, but held himself in check for social politeness. Covering his snicker with his hand, he looked up to Lucia. "Well... we'll see," he muttered quietly, so that only she could hear.

Elincia moved to show hers to Ike, while Nephenee stored hers away with a murmured thanks. The young Queen smiled as she heard the meaning of their pendant, then looked at Ritz. "It sounds fitting," she said, looking up at her husband.

Ritz beamed and laughed, delighted with the present. "Believe it or not, that wasn't originally about Ike's appetite. I thought it would be fitting, since what applies to a monarch frequently applies to their kingdom." She glanced at Ike and smiled widely, even as he crossed his arms and pouted slightly. "Of course, once I saw the way he went after the food last night, I just couldn't resist." Still smiling, she turned to Soren and Lucia. "Marche thinks yours sounded too sarcastic, but I didn't mean it to be. Last night may be the only time I've ever even <i>heard</i> of Soren being passionate. 'Sides, people always wish for what they don't have, right?" Finally, she turned to Nephenee. "I haven't known you very long, but you seemed like the type of person who would be very loyal, devoted if you will. It's also a trait necessary for leading castle security. I can tell that from personal experience."
Ike glowered slightly at the repeated mention of his appetite. While he knew it to be fairly legendary, he didn't expect it to have spread all the way into Ivalice quite that quickly. Nonetheless, he draped one arm across Elincia's shoulders and peered at the object she was holding. "It looks old. Not really old, but like you made it to look old. Did you?" His unabated curiosity completely diffused of any manners that might have kept this comment inside, but Ritz had dealt with much more offensive people. Ike might be blunt, but he was adorably well-meaning.
Lucia accepted the ribbon from Ritz, dangling the blue silk between her fingers. "It's beautiful, Ritz. The woman spun the ribbon and dropped the medallion into her hand. After gently rubbing the cool metal surface, she held it out for Soren to examine.

Nephenee nodded to Ritz and smiled happily. "'M sure Geoffrey will like it," she said, grateful. "Thank ya--... you. I like it a lot, too."

Elincia smiled and elbowed Ike slightly in the ribs. "Don't take it too hard, dear. They were bound to hear about it at some point," she said. She then turned her eyes back to the medallion. "It's beautiful, Ritz," she assured the other woman. "I'll find someplace nice to display it."

Soren looked over at the pendant, then reached out and touched it. "It's very nice," he murmured as he nodded his approval. "Maybe we should take it when we elope," he added a bit quieter, smiling slightly at his fiance.

Ritz squirmed slightly under all the attention and bounced back into position next to Marche. Blushing slightly, she waved the mages on to start the spell again. "I'll talk to you all soon, okay?" The new wife wrapped her arm around Marche's side and leaned against him, using her free hand to wave at them energetically.
Before Lucia had to respond to Soren's offer or Ike had time to respond to Elincia, the mages had finished their chant. The familiar black dome rose around then, despositing them in the throne room of Melior.

Elincia looked a bit off balance as they landed back in the throne room, looking up at Ike. She smiled at him and looked down at the pendant. She sighed and looked around at their trunks and the other people around them, then back up to her husband.

"Ike, a moment?" she said quietly, casting a glance over at Lucia as she led Ike off, smiling at him. "There's something I need to tell you."

((We could cut it there.  Since we all know what's coming after that. Go to the next one?))

The next three months flew by quickly, and visits between the two worlds were frequent. A large company from Ivalice attended the wedding between Soren and Lucia, including several non-Humes. That had been a very interesting experience. Laguz representatives had been present as representatvies of their various countries, and it was the first public appearance of Ivalice non-Hume races.
Mewt and Soren were meeting on a weekly basis to exchange notes and translations. Mewt's proficiency in the common writing of Tellius was rapidly increasing, which was of great assistance in the other venture he was undertaking. The Crown Prince and Elincia had also been meeting to establish a trade agreement between their two nations, though this was on a much less frequent basis due to the tight schedules of the two sovereigns.
Ritz, now three months pregnant, was also a frequent visitor. Visiting Tellius enabled her to do something useful, forging bonds between the two countries, while also doing something that didn't technically qualify as work. The not qualifying as work was somewhat a requirement of Marche's. He hadn't actually told his wife he wouldn't let her work, but, anytime she did anything he thought qualified, he fretted so visibly it made Ritz want to strangle him.
Today, however, no one was working. Doned, true to his word, had found an airship with a glass observation deck, allowing passengers onto the top. Once the interested parties had cleared a time on their schedule, he had arranged everything. On the morning in question, the nervous airship crew had landed the ship outside Bervenia Palace. Nervously, they waited outside the palace, while their Ivalician passengers waited inside for their guests arrival.
In Tellius, Nat and Gernave had just arrived in the Melior throne room. The people they'd been sent to transport were all nearly ready. Thankfully, this time, there was no luggage.

The group in Melior had been waiting for only a few minutes before the time mages appeared, as they always did, in the throne room. Elincia rose to her feet as the two appeared, smiling at the both.

"Nat, Gernave. A pleasure, once again," she greeted. She turned and smiled at Ike as he rose alongside her, then turned to speak with Kieran and Bastian, as they would be placed in charge of the castle for the duration of the Queen's visit to Ivalice. As she refreshed them on their instructions, Geoffrey and Nephenee made their way over to the mages.

Nephenee had been doing much better in overcoming her shyness towards the Ivalician guests, the time mages in particular since they were the most frequent visitors. She, of course, had no hand in Syl and Mewt's visits, and was often in Delbray, but on the chance that she was in Melior during a visit, she was often seen talking to the mages as the guests did whatever it was they had come to do. She offered them a smile, her arm wrapped around Geoffrey's as he greeted them verbally.

"I believe we'll be a moment or two longer," he said, looking slightly apologetic. "It would seem Lord Soren is late... strange."

As if on cue, Soren entered the room, carrying with him a small stack of books bound with a leather strap. Looking around and realizing he was the last to arrive, he said, "My apologies. I was getting these notes for Mewt." Realizing that no one really cared for his reason, he cut the explaination there and made his way over to his wife, looking back over his shoulder at Ike and the still-talking Elincia.

"Are you going to join us?" he asked, quirking his brow slightly at the King.

"Of course!" Ike spun around from his position next to Elincia and hurried over to the semi-circle of people, establishing himself firmly next to Soren. "There's <i>flying</i> today; I'm not staying!" The swordsman looked at the stack of books in Soren's arms and gestured at the basket of food he was already carrying. "You want me to take those? It wouldn't be any trouble. They look pretty light anyway." Why anyone had trusted Ike with the food was mostly unknown; however, thanks to Elincia's watchful presence, an overabundance of food, and surprising self-control on Ike's part, there looked to be some left over for everyone else.
Gernave nodded at Geoffrey slowly, acknowledging his apology. "I assure you, it is no trouble. Your companions in Ivalice are just prepared themselves, and the Prince would rather we be late then leave the notes behind." His tone seemed to lighten slightly, indicating a joke, though it was hard to tell with the Nu Mou. "He probably cares that you all arrive, which just goes to show what exceptional people you all are."
Lucia peered down at the books Soren was holding, just long enough to see what they were. "You're finished with those already? Didn't you just start on that one a month ago? I couldn't have read it in a month!" She laughed and took her husband's spare arm, interlocking her fingers with his in one of the few displays of public affection they took part in. "Mewt will be thrilled, at least.

Soren just spent a moment taking in all the comments directed his way, before sighing. He elected to ignore most of them as Lucia twined her fingers into his. "If the text is interesting enough, then I can keep a pretty good pace. And these journals have proved to be very good material... I'll have to tell you about them some time, provided you're interested."

His response to Ike's offer of taking the books was an evident 'no' as he made no motion to hand the stack over - the mage didn't consider it very safe to carry any object that could cause a stain in one hand and a rare, <i>borrowed</i> book in the other. Soren himself wouldn't attempt such a thing, knowing how fate favored ill fortune, so he dared not trust anyone else with the tomes.

Elincia was quick to join them, smiling a bit apologetically for the delay. She, however, realized that Geoffrey had already received pardon for them, and merely nodded to Nat and Gernave.

"I believe we're ready, now."

Gernave nodded deeply and turned to Nat. The two mages began the spell sequence, and the dome rose again. Just as quickly as it rose, it receded again; and it left them in the bright throne room of Bervenia Palace.
Ike nearly fell over as the dome faded and his eyes adjusted to the light. When they did, after a few seconds, he straighted and glanced around akwardly, especially as he realized no one else had had that problem. "Hey, everybody!" He lifted the picnic basket for all to see and held it out toward Ritz. "We brought the lemon and chocolate for you, and the pickle juice and the vanilla for Elincia. There's other stuff too, for non-pregnant people."
Marche laughed shortly, somewhat takenaback by Ike's forward announcement of both women's condition. It wasn't exactly a secret, but most people tended to dance around it. "Doned's waiting for us on the ship. Shall we?"
Ritz bounced over to Ike, using him as a holding rack while she went through the basket. "Marche, do you have the fish cooked, yet? The chocolate and lemon is here, and I'm <i>hungry</i>. Don't roll your eyes at me!" She frowned at her husband, looking deliberately dejected.