Shelby brushed off her shoulder. She shifted, and her reflection moved with her. Her dress seemed too tight. Her loose curls were tickling her nose. The lacey sleeves felt like little bugs on her arms. The veil on her head reminded her of a spider web. The lace sewn into her gown was itchy. Her train was too long.

Normally, these things would bother her to no end. But today, she didn't even seem to notice.

It was her wedding day, the day every girl in the world dreamed about since she was little.

Shelby's was waiting for her father and mother to come see her before the ceremony started. Abigail was due to be there any minute, but Shelby wouldn't be surprised if she took awhile. The princess was rather uptight about public appearances. She always had to look her best. Shelby had thought she would grow out of it during the four and a half years that she had known the princess, but she was wrong.

Shelby brushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes. Her stomach was fluttering with butterflies. As her parents and her fiance's parents had done, Shelby was getting married at Redmont Fief. The place was her home, and she couldn't imagine marrying anywhere else.

It wasn't long before Will and Alyss came in. They were all dressed and ready for the ceremony. Will was wearing the standard formal Ranger's outfit, and Alyss was wearing the formalized version of her usual courier dress. It was tinted blue so it wouldn't clash with Shelby's dress.

Alyss's eyes lit up when she saw her daughter.

"Oh, Shelby," she said. "You look beautiful." And she really did. Shelby, being the stubborn girl she was, refused to put on any of the oh-so popular makeup, or do anything crazy with her hair. She insisted on looking natural, and so she did.

Her grey eyes shined, and her blonde curls flowed freely. The pure white dress suited her slightly tanned skin perfectly.

Will was proud to call Shelby his daughter. She was not only beautiful and responsible, but she was herself. Being in the kingdom didn't change her at all, and that made Will proud. He tried to maintain a straight face, but it was a little hard.

Will had been trained all his life to be able to mask his emotions perfectly, but nothing had prepared him for giving his daughter away.

"Good morning, Shelby," he told her. She smiled softly.

"Good morning, Dad," she replied. She gripped his hand, comprehending the words he couldn't quite say. Alyss smiled at them, quite clearly understanding their thoughts.

Will hugged his daughter gently, being careful not to mess up any of her outfit.

"You look beautiful, my dear," he said. "I'm so glad you took after your mother."

Shelby laughed, the nervousness in her stomach dissipating. Her father's dry humor was enough to cure her of that. Will winked at her.

The door opened again, and the princess stepped in.

She was, as Shelby had guessed, completely dressed up. She wore her favorite dress, which was her favorite color; purple. Her hair was pulled up and out of her face. Her bright blue eyes shone like stars.

Her face lit up when she saw Shelby.

"Oh, Shelby," she said. "Look at you!" Shelby rose an eyebrow.

"Look at you!" she laughed. Abigail laughed with her.

"We're both something, aren't we?"

"That we are," Shelby agreed.

"Well, as soon as you both finish, we'll meet you at the door," Will said. "You have about ten minutes." Shelby nodded.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, and kissed his cheek. Will gave his daughter's hand one last squeeze, and followed Alyss out the door.

Abigail brushed Shelby's veil out of her eyes, fluffed the wedding gown's wide full skirt, and straightened the train. After she was done fussing over Shelby, she stood in front of her best friend.

"I guess this means you won't be my lady any more," she said. Shelby's shoulders fell a little.

"I'll always be here to take care of you," she said. "I'll never stop being your friend." Shelby paused. "And besides, you don't need me to take care of you anymore." Abigail turned her head to one side.

"What do you mean?" the princess asked. Shelby smiled facetiously.

"I heard about you and Gavin," she said. "Congratulations." Abigail flushed.

"Yeah, well." Shelby had been referring to the news she had heard that morning that Gavin and Abigail had become engaged. Abigail took a deep breath.

"You look beautiful," she told her. Shelby smiled.

"So do you," she replied. Abigail smiled with her friend.

"I'm so happy for you," she said. "And Mason. I've never seen him so happy." Shelby laughed.

"That's kind of pathetic," she said. "To be so worked up over me." Abigail crossed her arms.

"Oh, please!" She rolled her eyes. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to Castle Araluen, and don't even try to deny it." Shelby let out a breath.

"Oh, don't," she said. Abigail laughed again.

"Are we going to sit here arguing, or are we going to go? We have a wedding to attend!" Shelby rubbed her arms, hoping the goosebumps would go away.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Let's go."

The procession reminded Shelby of a funeral.

It wasn't in a bad way by any means, but everything seemed so formal and foreign. Person after person went down the aisle to get to their seats, and hardly anyone said anything.

Hundreds of people lined the rows of pews, all people that meant a lot to Mason and Shelby. People from all around had come to see the Crown Prince marry the famous Will Treaty's daughter. Neither Shelby nor Mason wanted anyone that they didn't know or want, so that cut well over half the people on the original list. Now, the only people that remained in Redmont's Courtyard were family, and close friends. Shelby and Mason both had very much wanted Emperor Shigeru to come, but he had unfortunately passed away several months before their wedding. The new Emperor, Shigeru's son Akito, had agreed to come, and brought his son Harou, a friend of Abigail and Shelby's. Several other foreigners came, but they were all people that meant a lot to both sides of the families.

After all the visitors had gained their seats, everyone kept extra quiet. It was time for the prince and his party to come out.

First came the conductor of the ceremony, Baron McKinley of Redmont Fief. He had been important in the retaking of Redmont in the war four years ago, and had been a good friend to Shelby and her family while she was growing up, so she trusted him to take care of the ceremony professionally.

Next came the families of the couple. Cassandra, Horace, and Alyss all went down the aisle to the front, and took their seats.

And last, went Gavin, the prince's best man and Mason. They took the their places on the raised dais where the ceremony would be conducted.

Mason and Gavin both looked very handsome. Mason was wearing his knight armor, which was custom of all knights at formal events, and the same went for Gavin. Mason not only wore his coat of arms, but he wore his crown that declared his place as Crown Prince, which he had only gained once he came of age.

After a short pause of silence, the fief's orchestra started playing. The Baron called for everyone to stand. The double doors went open, and little pink orchard flowers showered from the ceiling.

Shelby took a deep breath. She was having a hard time keeping her heart from beating out of her chest. Abigail gripped her hand tightly, and Shelby squeezed it back. Will took his daughter's arms, and together they all stood in front of the double doors, waiting for them to open.

Shelby, Will, and Abigail took a step together, and onto the aisle. Everyone in the crowd let out sighs, taking in Shelby's breathtaking appearance. They walked in unison, smiling at the friends among the crowd as they passed.

As for Shelby, she tried hard to stop smiling. She knew every name of every person in the crowd. The all looked happy for her, and she was as happy as she'd ever been. With a big leap of courage, Shelby looked up at her fiance.

Mason stood atop the raised dais, looking all the prince he was. His expression didn't make it difficult to tell her was a prince, but there was a soft look in his green eyes that made it obvious he was looking at someone he loved.

Shelby smiled back, and did her hardest to blink back the tears in her eyes. Once she had looked at Mason, it was hard to look away. Shelby, her father, and her best friend all took the last step together, and stood on the dais.

The rest of the ceremony went beautifully. Baron McKinley asked them to repeat their vows to each other, making them promise their care for each other, in sickness and health, and pronounce their love for each other.

Shelby was aware of the crowd's eyes on them, but she was so caught up in putting meaning into her words, she didn't really notice. The same went for Mason.

It wasn't hard for the crowd to catch the love in their tones, and their complete devotion to each other. Everyone in the crowd was ecstatic for them.

Mason had a ring made special for Shelby; it had a silver band, and a sapphire flower design. Shelby wore it proudly.

When the Baron called for Mason to kiss the bride, everyone held their breath as the couple kissed. More pink blossom petals fell from the sky, making the moment even more special. The crowd cheered as Mason and Shelby linked arms, and walked back down the aisle as husband and wife.

Directly after the ceremony was the crowning ceremony. Shelby was to become Princess Consort of Araluen, and Duchess of Redmont Fief. Mason was accepting the title not only Crown Prince, but Duke of Redmont Fief.

Queen Cassandra removed Shelby's lady crown, and put a graceful, silver tiara in its place. Mason still wore his crown.

The Queen read a speech about their duties, but it was hard for Shelby to pay attention. Her mind was still buzzing and her heart still beat a million miles an hour. She heard all of her responsibilities, but she had a hard time focusing. That ceremony didn't last long, and afterward was the reception.

Shelby and Mason both enjoyed the reception. They got to spend time with all the people they loved.

While the food was being put on the tables, they went around greeting all of their guests. First, they stopped at the Skandian table.

"There they are!" bellowed the Oberjarl, Erak. Shelby and Mason both grinned at him.

"It's great to see you, Erak!" Mason said, accepting the bear hug he knew was coming. He squeezed the prince so hard, Shelby was afraid he would break his ribs. When the Oberjarl let go, Mason didn't seem fazed. Erak smiled at Shelby. "You look beautiful, Princess Shelby," Erak said, his tone wavering at her title. Shelby smiled.

"Thank you, Oberjarl Erak," she said. "I'm so glad you made the trip to come see us."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Erak said!

Mason and Shelby thanked him and all of the other Skandians, and moved on.

They stopped at several other places, like the Toscan table, where both Shelby and Mason had friends, the Arrida table, the Hibernia table, and the Celtica table. The last place they stopped was the Nihon-Jan table.

Emperor Akito, his son Harou, and several of their soldiers sat, waiting for them.

"Ah, Shelby-san!" Emperor Akito said. Aside from a single streak of grey in his hair, Akito looked no different, and he showed no signs of aging.

Shelby bowed from the waist as she had done so many times when she was visiting Nihon-Ja.

"Hello, your Excellency," she said. Akito smiled, and looked up at Mason.

"So this is the famous Prince Mason?"

"I'm not sure about the famous part," Mason said with a smile, "But I've told my name is Mason." Akito laughed.

"I think you should keep him," he said to Shelby. She laughed too.

"I think so too." She took Mason's hand.

Harou stood from his seat, and bowed.

"Hello, Shelby-san," he said. "It is an honor to see you again." Shelby smiled.

"And for you, Harou," she replied. "I hope all is well with you." Harou nodded earnestly.

"I have a wife back home now," he said. Shelby laughed a little.

"Very well, then!" she said. Harou nodded, and turned to Mason.

"And you, Mason-san. Take care of our Shelby-san." The prince smiled.

"I will," he promised. And with a lot more bows and farewells, Shelby and Mason made their way to the Wedding Party table.

Waiting for the newlywed couple at the table was Halt, Lady Pauline, Jenny, Gilan, Will, Lady Alyss, Queen Cassandra, Sir Horace, Gavin and Abigail.

Mason and Shelby stopped by Gilan and Jenny first.

Jenny hugged them both.

"Congratulations," she said. "I'm so happy for you two." Shelby smiled.
"Thank you, Jenny," she said. "Thank you for coming."

"Our pleasure," Jenny said. Gilan hugged Shelby, and shook Gavin's hand.

"Boy, you two sure are growing up!" he said with a smile. "Congrats."

"Thank you," Shelby and Mason said, and moved on. Next they went to Cassandra and Horace.

Cassandra and Horace hugged them both.

"Congratulations," Cassandra said. She smiled at Horace. "You look beautiful, my dear." Shelby smiled at the Queen.

"Thank you," she said. "It's all thanks to Abigail." Cassandra smiled at her daughter-in-law. Mason and Shelby moved on to Will and Lady Alyss.

Alyss hugged her daughter tightly.

"Congratulations, my daughter," she said. "I'm so happy to be here." Shelby smiled.

"Me too," she teased. Will kissed his daughter's forehead.

"I'm happy for you," he said, and shook Mason's hand.

"Thank you, Sir," the prince replied. Next, Shelby and Mason stopped by Halt and Lady Pauline.

"Congratulations," Lady Pauline said. "Marriage is a beautiful thing.

"Yes it is, my Lady," Shelby said. Lady Pauline smiled.

Halt wore his standard expression, neither happy, nor sad, excited nor bored.

"It's been a blessing to see you grow up and make your way in the kingdom," he said to Shelby eventually. "Congratulations."

Hearing such kind words from such a famously grim man made Shelby feel warm inside. Halt looked up at Mason. "Take care of her, young man," he said, dead serious.

"Yes, sir," Mason replied just as solemnly. Halt nodded at them, and they moved on.

Abigail stood from her chair and hugged Shelby tightly.

"Oh, Shelby," she said. "It was so beautiful!"

"Thanks," the new princess replied. "I'm so glad I got to share this day with you."

"Thanks for letting me!" Abigail exclaimed, which made Shelby smile.

"Couldn't have done it without you," she said. Which was completely true. The whole reason Shelby had met Mason in the first place was because of Abigail. Letting her be a part of it didn't seem like enough to repay her with.

Abigail hugged her new sister again, and then hugged her brother.

"Now you take care of her, you hear me?" Abigail did her best to make a serious face, but it didn't turn out so well. Shelby laughed, and Mason with her.

"Yes, ma'am," the prince said. Abigail smiled and hugged her brother again.

Gavin took his turn to hug the prince and his bride.

"Congrats," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," Shelby said.

The last of the food was put on the table. Shelby and Mason took their seats, and the feast began.

Several more people came up to the couple as they ate, wishing them well. A lot of people told Shelby how excited they were that she would be Queen someday, and that they couldn't think of anyone better for the prince. Shelby wasn't sure how to react to that; to agree, thank them for their thoughts, or just nod her head, so she did all three. Shelby and Mason ate between conversations, which wasn't very often. It seemed like the entire kingdom and some more had come.

Not being much of a people person, Shelby just wanted to kidnap Mason and go somewhere quiet where they could talk and have lunch.

But, she knew that wasn't going to happen, so she didn't fret about it. She knew that once the ceremony was over, her and Mason would be headed to Nihon-Ja where they would spend their honeymoon. Cassandra and Horace had offered for them to use their castle for the two weeks they would be in Nihon-Ja, and Akito had agreed to let them go back with him. Shelby had loved her stay in the exotic country, and even though Mason had never been, he had heard so much of it, and it captured his interest. Plus, he knew how much the country meant to Shelby and her family, and when they were offered to stay for awhile, he couldn't refuse.

Mason and Shelby got to exchange a few words to each other every once and awhile, but mostly they talked to other guests.

They ate cake, talked, danced, talked, listened to speeches, talked some more. The rest of the evening seemed to fly by. Before they knew it, the evening was coming to a close. Shelby had been surprised at how fast the day went, but she was thankful when it was over. She had enjoyed the day, but it was nice finally being able to call it a day.

Once the servants started to clean up, Shelby got to say goodbye to her family, friends, and then left to her room at Redmont. It was a little bigger than her Lady room at Castle Araluen, and nice and cozy as well. She didn't really mean to, but as soon as she got cleaned up and dressed for bed, she fell asleep.

So guys, I'm back! Is anyone surprised this is how it started? I couldn't wait to write the wedding. Thanks for you guys continuing to support me, and I hope you like this new story! The story is going to be more T-Rated than the first one, just because it's more grown up and mature, but nothing bad, I promise. :) I plan on updating once a week again, but I don't know what day yet. Maybe Thursday again, maybe Friday. Idk. Lol