Chapter 2- Taken

It hadn't occurred to me when I had initially been offered the chance to follow my father's footsteps that in accepting, I would forever be locked away, unable to follow my own heart's desires. It was now, having left the room that those thoughts dawned upon me. It made me scared, terrified actually. And I wished I hadn't jumped in so hastily.

People said your life flashed before you when death was about to take you so I panicked as memories began to flash before me...it had to be symbolic, I thought. Symbolic of the death of my freedom.

At only 17 I would lose the chance to do all those things I hadn't thought about doing. And the simple fact that at 17 I would be married, it was something people never thought of, often looked down upon. It was only in the last few months I began dreaming about the perfect wedding...I couldn't say they didn't involve the Maester of Bevelle, but I figured the time would be distant...very distant. And I always thought I would meet the person I would be wed to before making a decision.

Wait! Why was I questioning the marriage?

I wanted to do this...I had to do it. Why was I worrying about all the things I hadn't done when this was exactly what I wanted to do most. Why was I worrying about myself when I was being offered the opportunity to bring joy to my people? I had to be strong like my father...no he had to be stronger. In contrast to his achievements, this was an easy feat. I had no love to leave, no soul mate to watch die because of my destiny. This was certainly simple.

My dream had come true! My chance to save my town arrived early...they no longer had to wait for peace! I would be married in a month...It was that effortless.

"Yuna, you are at no obligation to accept this offer...you are free to make your decision and we shall bargain based on your choice. Please..." My fathers voice seemed drained, his eyes tired with fear.

"I will marry, Father."

"Please take some time to think it through!" Sir Jecht urged, his tone desperate to make me listen. He could see it as clearly as I could, that this was killing my father. But unlike him, I saw this as the first test of my heart's determination to leave this quest victorious in my efforts.

"I need no time!" My voice was growing in volume as I urged to elder men before me, "I have been hoping for the opportunity to follow my father's legacy and to bring my people the freedom they deserve! I am ready to play this role! Father, you have to understand how I feel! I want to help my people in anyway I can and nothing would bring me as much joy as this would!"

I spoke directly to his brilliant blue eyes, no one else existed in the room right now. I could feel him looking through me, searching beyond my outer shell for some sign of weakness he could grasp onto. I watched his face drowning in hurt, sinking further and further as he gazed at me. My spirit began to fade as the room remained silent, minute passing slowly with no movement or sound made by any member within the room.

Finally, Sir Jecht and Sir Auron pushed themselves from their seats, their clothing falling into their natural place. It was torture, watching them leave in what felt like super super super slow motion, I swear I could see every motion of the material on their backs as the paced past me, knowing that I would soon be alone to discuss the issue at hand with my father.

I heard one of the men give a soft grunt as they past me, I figured it was encouragement and hoped it was not disapproval. The door shut, barely detectable besides the return to nil light. My father instantly drooped over the table in response as though he was absent of any energy, defeated.

"Father...?"

He seemed to mumble into his arms, and I inched towards him, only a few steps to alter the sense of a trial. The table was at arm length from me and I looked down at his death-like posture, his ice blue hair sprawling over his form from under the petite hat he wore. I resisted the urge to reach out to him, I had to prove I was strong, that I was not his little girl any longer.

"I speak to you as Lord Braska, he who sacrificed personal love for his people and sits here now a hero. He must know how I feel, he must agree with my thoughts. He must allow me to follow his choice and do as he has done! He must..."

"Yuna! It is also your father you speak to!" He sat upright now, cutting me off mid-speech, halting my onslaught, "I cannot allow you to make an immense decision with no thought!"

"I have thought about it! Every day of my life I have longed to be like you! To have some purpose for my life!"

"You don't need to do this to have purpose...you don't need to be like me. It wouldn't be fair for me to let you be like me. My story is not glorious, not any more spectacular than any average man...should I have been so lucky as to have a life like them. I killed people Yuna! I caused pain to the two people I truly loved, I forced you into a lie. I am nothing but a lie! I don't want you to have a life like me, to be absent of joys that everyone else takes for granted...you, Yuna, deserve all the happiness in the world! You don't need to sacrifice your happiness for them!"

"If not me, then who? Would you condemn that on someone else, somebody else's child, just so I may be happy? That isn't fair papa, and you know it! Let me be their hope, let me free them from the pain you suffer now...I am prepared for this path."

My voice had faded to a whisper, full of pity as tears rolled down my fathers face. Even when mother died, he had not cried like this...truly testing me. He was reliving everything, sharing each memory with me through his eyes that begged me to stay. I resisted the temptation to share his sorrow, to cry alongside him. I said nothing. Just looked into his eyes severely, waiting for his approval.

"Please..."

He nodded. It was a motion difficult to see, a simple twitch of the head, but I saw it and instantly stood. Planting a simple kiss on his forehead, I turned and vacated the room, on the edge of complete emotional breakdown. The room disappeared behind me as I wiped away the tear on the corner of my eye.

I had been laying here in bed, sleepless, for numerous hours now. Nightfall and come early, my head had only rest here for minutes I think, yet sleep did not follow its example. An act to which I now felt exceedingly angry. I rolled over time and time again; trying desperately to fulfil my bodies need to move, but nothing satisfied my limbs.

And nothing would halt the flashing images that raced through my mind each time I closed my eyes. The blankets pulled over my head, the lace material attempting with all its might to drown me into slumber failed. My mind was too impressed by the fantastical experienced being thought up in my head.

I pictured Maester Seymour, wondering what the man I was to be bound to looked like. I had absolutely no idea, so his features flipped and changed just like one of those layered books, the colours of him swirling into an unreadable mix. I pictured Bevelle, my father had described it to me but had never actually taken me for reasons I understood. He said the buildings where grant, both in height and aesthetic value. He had described the place as a vibrant rainbow but more eternal than the rain. It was fantastic.

And I pictured a wedding that soon I would be apart of. White, that was all I could see. No objects or people or movement, just a white blank screen. Because I had no idea what a wedding was like, what was supposed to happen or who was supposed to be there. What people did or what I would be doing. I had never been the audience of one, hidden in the rooms of the manor my father had been condemned to live in. The only people I knew to be wed were all married before my existence or, like my father, had been married without my presence.

And the idea's that frightened me most faded as my mind wondered through the occurrences of a wedding...perhaps this would be a pleasant adventure...finally I would see the world the way a normal person was supposed to...but could it be normal when the circumstances failed to be so?

Those little questions failed to stop me as I fell into the dreams of marriage that were to mix in, over the next few weeks, with those of fear.

Author's Notes

Herro for chapter 2!

I think this ended up being quite short but I was trying to get through the 'thought process' of Yuna now so when I actually get into the story in the next few chapters I don't have to worry about it anymore. Not that her thoughts won't be there (its 1st person after all!).

I'm sorry about it being lacking in characters, Tidus will make his first appearance shortly I swear! But I don't like rushing through or my writing gets all iced in lameness.

Thanks to PP and Coley Poo, who commented me last chapter, and also to Sanchez and anyone else who comments in the future! I heart you!

In mentioning them, I'd like to suggest that you also visit their profiles and stories, its the least I can do for them! Nicole is under the title: Roadcityrockstar and PP is under: FangirlPlx

Well I'm off the write the next chapter, wee!

Gingy!