Yuna didn't know what exactly she had expected, but three days of nothing wasn't it. The last she had seen Baralai was when he had shown her to her rooms—a small apartment on the second floor, small, sparsely decorated, and completely devoid of anything that could be used to pass the time, from sphere players to books. Even the view from the windows and small balcony were boring, overlooking a pretty, but deserted, courtyard.

No, that wasn't true. She had seen him, but only briefly. He'd say hello, but there was no time for conversation—not on Yuna's end, but Baralai's. She didn't know what exactly he did all day, but she had a new appreciation for him despite that. No matter when she saw him, he was busy, rushing from one appointment to another.

Yuna, on the other hand, barely moved at all. After some exploring she had discovered a small library in a wing on the other side of the palace, and she took to spending her days there, reading in front of the fire and wishing someone would seek her out. The palaces were huge, but somehow sound didn't carry. Everything was cool, thick, and muffled, smelling faintly of water and dust.

Yuna was bored. She hadn't realized how much she loved sphere hunting until she couldn't do it any more, until she couldn't do anything at all. She hadn't realized how used to fighting and searching and moving she was. Yuna had always thought that peace and quiet was what she really wanted, but now that she was in the thick of it, she was restless.

At least if she had someone to talk to!

She closed her book impatiently, an overly thick volume with yellowing pages detailing life in the southern islands three hundred years ago—as far as Yuna could tell, it was exactly the same as it was now, but back then they hadn't known how to write interestingly. If she stayed in the library any longer, she was going to scream.

No sooner had Yuna thought this then the library door opened. Looking distracted, and tired, Baralai trudged in, carrying a book in one hand. He didn't seem to notice Yuna at first, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he closed the door behind him. Despite it being rude, Yuna didn't draw attention to her chair, watching him… there was something different about him, not the tiredness… but… with slight surprise, Yuna realized it was the tiredness, the obvious display of it. Normally he was so composed—even with those he considered his friends—there was something uncomfortable about it, even though it had only been a moment. Yuna stood up. "Praetor?"

At once, Baralai straightened, hand falling to his side, face calm. He still looked tired… but at the same time, he didn't, not as tired, not exhausted. A little surprised, though. "Lady Yuna," he said, "I didn't realize you would be here. Good afternoon."

"Am I not allowed?" Yuna asked, the thought not having occurred to her.

"I would be surprised if there was a place in Saint Bevelle you were not allowed," Baralai replied mildly. He looked uncomfortable, however.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," Yuna said, walking over to him, "I was surprised to see you, too." She was curious, despite herself. "You looked tired."

Baralai was quiet for a moment, before smiling thinly. "I haven't been sleeping well lately." He walked past Yuna, placing his book on a table before turning back to her, speaking seriously. "I must apologize. I have been remiss in my duties as a host. You oughtn't to have spent so much time alone, My Lady."

"It's okay," Yuna lied. She was a poor liar, and Baralai raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, I've been reading a lot, that's all," Yuna amended.

"You must have been bored," Baralai replied, sounding almost amused. "This library is only for reports, books containing transcripts of crops and trade and the like."

"I'd noticed," Yuna admitted.

"I can show you to the more general library, if you'd like—it's on the opposite end of the palace, and much larger then this," Baralai offered. "I have a few minutes."

"Yes, thank you," Yuna replied, wondering if now would be a good time to ask what exactly was required of her here, in Bevelle, in New Yevon. She followed him from the library, and down the corridor in the opposite direction of Yuna's rooms. Yuna tried to think of something to say, but was lost for words… she didn't think she had ever been alone with Baralai before, and realized that she didn't know much about him. "Do you have any brothers and sisters?" she blurted out, desperate for conversation.

Again, he looked almost amused. "Yes. Several, in fact," Baralai amended, leading her down a corridor that opened into one of the palace's main halls, high ceiling and spaced with tapestries and arched stained glass windows. It was crowded with other people, most of whom bowed as they passed. Baralai and Yuna bowed in reply, Yuna unused to carrying on conversation and formalities at the same time. Baralai was clearly more adept at it, speaking around the greetings as if they had never taken place to begin with. "I am the youngest of six," he explained, "All but one sisters."

"That—must be nice," Yuna stammered, between bowing and wishing health to an elderly priest.

"I suppose," Baralai said neutrally. "To be frank, I'm not terribly fond of them."

"It seems like a luxury, to be able to dislike your family," Yuna said, walking quickly in hopes of discouraging people from greeting her. Being famous really was a pain.

"I'm sorry if I caused you offence," Baralai replied at once, dropping the subject. "This way, My Lady."

In silence again—at least to each other—Yuna followed Baralai for a moment longer, before he lead her outside. She knew where they were—the entrance to the Bevelle Temple, although from a different angle then she was used to. Off to the left and down a narrow staircase crossing a canal was the main highway, the Temple doors cutting across them and leading, Yuna knew, to the Temple courtyard, the inner Sanctum, the Cloister of Trials and the Chamber of the Fayth. "The library is in the temple?" she said, doubtfully.

"No, it's in the Maester's Palace," Baralai said, using perhaps unconsciously Bevelle slang for the separate building, now offices, that had been built with the intention of housing the Maesters of Yevon. The Maesters had built themselves a grander palace, where Yuna's rooms were, but the name had stuck even if the building itself was called officially the Department of Relations.

"But isn't that… across the canal?" Yuna asked, pointing at the high wall on the right.

"There's a short cut," Baralai replied, downright cheerfully (for him), leading the way down the narrow stone steps. "Not too many people know about it."

"A secret tunnel?" Yuna asked, and when he nodded, she added, "How did you find it?"

"I happened upon it by chance, several years ago. My eldest sister was a Priestess. I spent a lot of time in temples as a child."

Yuna suspected there was more to the story then that, but Baralai fell silent. She was starting to suspect that underneath all the tact and Bevelle, there was a far less polite Baralai, one that spent his childhood in the temples not praying, but searching for the secret passages that everyone knew were rumored to exist.

"It's only a few minutes walk, as you see." Baralai said, leading Yuna through the gate—closed against the public, although neither of the qualified as that—"Although normally, it is far more crowded here. There's a ceremony—perhaps you noticed how busy it's been here lately?"

Yuna hadn't, but then, she had been holed up in the Library of Records for the past three days. Once they were inside the temple, the emptiness really made itself felt, the grand cathedral dark and quiet without the echoes of voices—and the Hymn. Yuna had always liked the Hymn, really, and missed it. The statues of the High Summoners seemed to loom over them, partially in shadow. It was an uneasy place.

"Is that why I've been left alone?" Yuna asked, remembered her earlier question, stopping her walk and shivering slightly in the cool, glancing around the temple.

Baralai looked slightly uncomfortable, also stopping. "I'm very sorry about that, Lady Yuna," he said. "The magic academy has a class graduating this week, and today is the anniversary of Maester Jael's coronation, and between the two…" Maester Jael had been a celebrated leader, about two hundred years ago. Yuna had forgotten that his reign was celebrated in Bevelle still, even if not the rest of Spira.

"You must have been busy. It's okay," Yuna said, feeling slightly appeased by Baralai's guilty expression.

"I haven't even seen the Chairman, or the council," Baralai admitted. "But there's a meeting four days from now—if My Lady doesn't mind the wait. Perhaps you could go back to your Sphere Hunting until then?"

"No," Yuna said slowly. She looked for and quickly found the statue of her father, his face shadowed in the dim lighting. "I think I should stay here… make my presence felt, I guess."

Baralai was quiet for a moment before replying. "Please do not take offence, Lady Yuna, but holing yourself up the library isn't the way to do that."

"I know," Yuna admitted, "I'm just a little lost as to what I should do…" she sighed, "and I'm still not sure if I really want people to think I've taken up with New Yevon." She felt guilty for that, seeing as she had gone to Bevelle just for that purpose, seeing as Baralai was New Yevon's leader, and rambled on despite herself. "Although I guess it really shouldn't matter, I mean, maybe it would be more balanced that way—Rikku is Cid's daughter, so it's like the Machina Faction is part of her. And Paine's admitted that she'd be happy in the Youth League, so all my friends seem to be split up between the two… but except for Isaaru, I don't really know anyone in New Yevon, and what would he say if he knew I was here?" Yuna cut herself off after that high outburst, clamping a hand over her mouth, palm pressing hotly into her lips.

Baralai was silent, taken slightly aback. Finally, he said, slowly, "You're not talking about Isaaru, are you."

Yuna didn't have to reply. Her face was burning, and she looking around wildly, settling her eyes on a fresco decorating the parapet of the tier above. Painted Summoners battled Painted Sinspawn, chubby fayth and swooning women looking on.

"I'm sorry," Baralai said after a minute. "I've heard…"

"Heard what?" Yuna asked harshly.

"From Paine, mostly. But there are other rumors as well," Baralai said calmly, joining Yuna in admiring the parapets. "High Summoner Yuna, by all accounts, had an unusually large amount of Guardians in her service. Six, in fact—and yet only four of them were with her during the celebrations in Luca."

Yuna's heart sank. "We thought it best… he would have loved the fame, you know?" she wrung her hands, "he would have loved to be famous, a legendary guardian, but we thought it would be best if we left him out of the story—because of his father… and the fayth…" Baralai couldn't understand the details, Yuna never spoke of them, none of them did, but he did not voice his confusion. "So we made it seem like he had never… it was simpler that way. But he was so outgoing…" Yuna smiled. "He made so many friends. And enemies. We couldn't—just wipe him away."

"They say you were," he hesitated politely, "that you had feelings for him."

"You mean, Paine said," Yuna corrected, not unkindly. Her smile became twisted. "But he's dead. He won't come back… even if Shuyin… that's why I came here. The others think I need a vacation from all of… everything."

"I understand," Baralai said carefully. Yuna sighed deeply, then looked at the Praetor with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry for, um, going off at you like that."

He smiled slightly, looking unpracticed. "It's fine, really."

"Um," Yuna said, awkwardly, "maybe we could… keep going? To the library?"

"Yes, of course," Baralai replied, sounding slightly relieved. Well, Yuna couldn't blame him—she was happy to leave this conversation behind, too. But apparently he had other plans. Baralai led Yuna up some stairs to the tier they were earlier admiring, then showed her a hidden door beside a statue of Yunalesca—down those stairs was a narrow, dim corridor leading under the temple. He fell into step beside her as they walked.

"I can't pretend to understand how you feel," Baralai said carefully, "but… Lady Yuna, I think it would be wise of you to remember that you are not the only one to have lost someone they care for. In this world, that sort of grief is shared by too many."

"You mean," Yuna sighed, "since it's been two years, I really should let go already."

"Well," Baralai said, then smiled ruefully when Yuna shot him a Look. "Yes, I do."

Yuna was silent. She knew he was right—she knew that she was being almost selfish—but—it still hurt. Would it have hurt so much if he had died in a fight? Died killing Sin? Died—not vanished after the battle was won? Or…

"Who… who did you loose?" Yuna asked finally, trying to divert her thoughts. Baralai was silent for a very long time, and Yuna began to worry she had offended him.

"My sister," he said at last. "Alennia. A priestess. When I was eighteen."

"I'm sorry," Yuna said.

They were silent the rest of the short walk, emerging from a second hidden door (this time beside a statue of Lord Zaon) in the Maester's Palace, only a few feet from the vast set of doors leading to the Royal Libraries.

Baralai excused himself then, politely, bowing, and Yuna, watching him walk away, thought absently that there couldn't be two people less alike.