The procession following the ex-Summoner, and now leader of all Spira, was long and vibrant. Courtiers, servants and bodyguards swarmed around the brunette girl who had accomplished the impossible so many months ago. Ex-Crusaders, now employed as Yuna's personal guard, pushed her admirers out of her path as she made her way. "Admirers" was an understatement; they were more like worshippers. It was almost as though the entire continent loved her.
Yuna, draped in long white robes and carrying her beloved staff, Nirvana, was hurried from the long walkway to the gates of Bevelle. Her tour of the rebuilt cities of Spira had ended and she was now ready to sit in her massive court, on her throne that was more like a giant armchair than a seat of power. Shy as she was, her advisors tended to make all the decisions in court, but she still held power. She had hundreds of fiercely loyal followers, and thousands of more Spirans who would rather follow her than allow any former maesters or anyone with connections to the old Yevon. Even the Al Bhed were public about their support—it was the only thing they were public about, as a matter of fact. It was widely believed that no one would dare attempt a coup to seize power. The Crusaders had never been more numerous nor more powerful since their great loss to Sin four years prior. In just a few short years, nomads from the mountains and the seas had settled into towns and become functioning members of the society. The ranks of the elite military force had swelled from that alone, and the remnants of the warrior monks had also been absorbed into the Crusaders.
The crowd lining the Highbridge was packed in tightly. They looked desperate to surge forward, past the Crusaders armed in full riot gear that were keeping them back. The available walking space was so narrow that Yuna could feel the wind from hands waving past her head. She picked up her skirts and rushed even more quickly toward the impenetrable gate to Bevelle. The cheering mob continued to shove forward against the Crusaders. One anonymous man attempted to jump over a heavily armed Crusader but he was caught midair in a hold spell, giving the soldier enough time to bludgeon the transgressor with his heavy shield. Yuna sighed a breath of relief, but felt a twinge of sympathy for that man, who would likely require medical attention—if not for the blow itself, then for being trampled by the people around him.
The Crusaders along the edges filed in behind the procession as the Yuna, her personal bodyguards, and her various aides progressed to the great gate to the capitol. The hordes of worshippers followed suit, forcing the soldiers protecting Yuna and her entourage into walking faster. Many of them seemed to be hoping to be able to reach out and touch the woman who was now seen as a savior among the majority, and a goddess to the members of a small cult that had recently sprung up.
The gate opened to allow entrance, which was accomplished quickly. Despite the seemingly infinite numbers of adorers and a near-equal number of guards, it was feared that an assassin could get through with a firearm or other projectile weapon. Magic was not feared, however, as Yuna's captain of the guard, Sadye Vuillemot, had contracted the nigh-impossible to find Al Bhed to install the latest, most powerful machine for dispelling all magic before its effects could set in. It was a wonder that Sadye had found the Al Bhed without help from Yuna, who always had a contact in the Al Bhed leader Cid and his somewhat estranged daughter Rikku. Sadye always seemed to have contacts that no one else knew about; no one was ever suspicious, however, since Yuna trusted Sadye with her life. If Yuna trusted her, no one else was in any position to doubt her.
With a resonating boom, the gate slammed closed and locked behind Yuna and her train, shutting out the Yuna devotees outside. Yuna shook her head as she imagined the Crusaders outside attempting to force the people to remain calm until she was ready to grant audience. They were often compelled to take violent, though non-lethal, action. She prayed for the best; the last thing she needed was for someone to die at the hands of her personal Crusader guard. Though, admittedly, she could have just changed the name of the military and installed a new field commander; everyone would forget about the fatality since the Crusaders would no longer exist.
Crusader was such an outdated term, anyway. They no longer had any for which to quest. Sin was gone and would never return; the Al Bhed were not enemies of the ruling party. The tradition was as significant as their place in Spiran culture had been, though. Crusaders had an established reputation for being the protectors of the people, and that's what the Summoner wanted them to continue being. The warrior monks were the oppressors while the Crusaders were the cloak protecting Spira from the elements.
The oldest of the Crusaders, the few who had survived the battle with Sin, were all members of Yuna's bodyguard. They had proven themselves trustworthy and would protect Yuna with their lives, sacrificing themselves if need be. The newest of the Crusaders were stationed as far from Yuna as possible, as was deemed by Sadye to be the best way to keep the Summoner safe from harm. The military academy in Bevelle had been established to bring solid organization to the training of future soldiers. It did not, however, have the means to weed out those who enlisted and received training so that they could get close to Yuna. It was impossible to tell if there was anyone out there with that plan in mind.
The strange thing about Sadye Vuillemot was that she had never been a Crusader, she had never even been a guardian, and she had never even met a warrior monk in her life. The first time she met Yuna was during one of the first blitzball games after the defeat of Sin and Yu Yevon. A suicide bomber had threatened Yuna's life, but before he could get the explosives to go off, Sadye had stolen the sidearm of a guard and dove at the bomber, squeezing the trigger as rapidly as possible. Though dead after the first shots, Sadye had tackled him and sent the man over the edge of the balcony. She had almost died, as well, but the agile woman had caught a hold on the ledge. It was lucky that a hovering platform meant for security was nearby, because the woman wasn't strong enough to pull herself up or to hold on for very long. It was also very fortunate that the bomb had gone off in the air and a nearby magic user in the audience had used his abilities with Demi to condense the explosion so that it was harmless.
Yes, it was through this that Sadye had become possibly the most powerful person in Spira next to the summoner herself. She had Yuna's ear. She frequently spoke for Yuna. The woman was even allowed to make real decisions without consulting Yuna or the other advisors. Yuna trusted her completely.
It was a long walk to the assembly hall in the palace capitol of Bevelle. The short, black haired Sadye was waiting for Yuna at the massive doors into the gigantic room. The doors themselves were a sight to see. Carved in the polished Macalania hardwood were images of the now-dead Aeons. Each one was intricately detailed and gold filled in the smallest of carved lines. The largest beast on the door was in the center and split in half as the door opened. It was a large icon of Bahamut with his regal wings outstretched, reaching to envelope the beautiful Shiva, the powerful Ifrit, the soaring Valefor, and the noble Yojimbo, amongst several others. Yuna stood before the doors as they opened fully, watching the dear beasts that had given themselves to protect her, and in a final gesture, sacrificed themselves for the good of all Spira.
She tried so desperately not to cry, but thin streams of tears began working their way down her cheeks. Sadye was immediately at Yuna's side, wiping the tears away. "These doors always seem to get to you, Lady Yuna. Are you sure you do not wish them moved elsewhere?"
Yuna shook her head meekly, "No, they must be remembered, most of all by myself. They were friends to me and I shouldn't forget that."
She also couldn't make the staff do the work to have the doors moved and replaced. It was not hard to imagine how much time and effort that would take. The bolts alone were bigger than a grown man's fist.
Sadye looked deeply into Yuna's eyes. The brunette savior of Spira had incredible eyes: one a rich, watery sapphire and the other a brilliant, lush emerald. The woman subtly bit her lip and backed away. She didn't want Yuna to become suspicious of any of her varied thoughts concerning the Summoner.
"Milady, I have received word from my Al Bhed contacts. They say they have not heard from Her Ladyship Rikku in quite some time. It troubles them. Of course, Cid has hardly given note to it."
"Is it just Rikku, Sadye?"
"No, Lady Summoner, Her Ladyship's patrol has been missing at sea for some time, as well. We believe she is with it, but that does not help matters much."
Sadye and Yuna walked briskly down the grand hall toward the plush throne where Yuna sat for assembly. The throne sat atop a platform raised above the main floor by exactly thirty-three steps. There was no significance to that number, as far as anyone was concerned, though some did wonder, every so often, exactly why it was raised thirty-three and not thirty or thirty-five. Sadye normally had nothing else to do than to take note of the small details around the palace. There were eleven columns in the main entry hall, four in each of the bedchamber suites… Sadye needed a hobby. Running Spira did not take as much time as one would think; she was good at delegating.
Yuna spoke after the brief silence, "Rikku's not a spoiled princess. I'm sure she's okay."
At the foot of the steps, Sadye stopped in her tracks and turned to Yuna. Her voice was unnaturally high when she tried to say the first word, but she cleared her cleared and spoke, "You do not have to take audience today, Milady. It has been a very long trip for you and I do not wish you to work yourself to illness."
Yuna straightened her back and tipped her nose upward at a slight angle, "I can do this, Sadye. Thank you for looking out for me. It would have been lonely without you since Kimahri left."
Sadye suddenly perked up, "Lady, have you received any news from Lord Kimahri since he left to rebuild the tribe? I fear I have no sources within the Ronso ranks."
Yuna shook her head, "I haven't." She sniffed and breathed in calmly, trying not to cry, "They haven't even been seen in the Gagazet area."
"I hope they have not disappeared permanently. They were a valuable part of Spira."
They both watched the man who was pushing a mop around the marble floor. He was moving lazily and had likely been mopping the same spot for quite some time. He didn't want to be there anymore but he had not been dismissed and had to keep working until he was let go. Sadye understood that; her family had had several servants.
"You are all dismissed," she called out to the various people who were preparing the room. They would all have to be back the moment the assembly was over to do what they did just before it started. Their jobs sounded so depressing.
As they left, Crusaders began filing into the chamber. They took their positions forming a semicircle around the bottom step of the chair platform. The people who had been selected to be granted audience could not wait much longer. Sadye placed her hand on Yuna's shoulder to tell her.
The former summoner nodded weakly. "Okay, I can do this. Let them come in. I'm ready."