Chapter 4
"Come again?" I ask the stupid sword as I start walking again.
"You will pick someone else," He says in a tone that shows his impatience at my lack of wanting to understand. "In fact, you will probably have a similar reaction to Henrietta when you see her tomorrow."
"WHAT?! She's a queen!" I exclaim loudly, causing some students to turn and look at me.
"So is Tabitha," Del reminds me.
"What am I supposed to do?" I ask rubbing my forehead as a headache begins to form.
"You follow your heart," Del responds as if it's the easiest thing in the world to understand.
"I don't want to hurt anyone though," I say feeling the sense of defeat enter my heart. "I don't want any of them to feel sad or angry or any of those rotten emotions. I want them all to be happy." It is true, but it wasn't until just a second ago that I realized it.
"So you have finally come to terms with yourself?" Del asks.
"I never realized." I stop by the door to Colbert-sensei's workshop. "I never realized how I felt until now."
"It's because you were always worried about Louise and how she would feel being as she is your master."
"But so is Tifa, so why didn't I feel the same way towards her?"
"Because Louise wouldn't let you. You were hers first and she thought you couldn't have the chance with anyone else," Del says.
"Why would she do that if she was just going to get with Julio anyways?" I ask in confusion, trying to piece it all together.
"Because she's a noble and she probably thought of you as her property, and the fact that you were to 'belong' to someone else is not a good thing for her 'noble' look," Del stops for a moment as if contemplating something. "That's just an idea though."
"Alright," I say reluctantly, not really wanting to accept that. I step forward and knock on Colbert-sensei's door.
"Come in," A voice calls from the inside. "Hey Saito," Colbert-sensei's asks when I open the door.
Colbert-sensei is a teacher here at the academy and he has honest blue eyes covered by glasses and a balding head. He is the one who helped me fix the fighter plane and even built a giant flying ship, kinda like a plane from my world.
"Hey, Colbert-sensei," I say as I shut the door behind me and take a seat at his work table. His work table is cluttered with beakers, vials, books, quills, and papers. "What are you working on?"
"Just trying out different things," He replies putting down a vial he was studying. "What brings you here today?"
"I was just wanted someplace to hang out for a while if you don't mind?" I ask a little hesitantly.
"Trying to avoid Louise?" He asks with a knowing look.
"You know?"
He laughs a rich laugh and says, "When aren't you on her bad side?"
"Oh," I say realizing he must not know. "You haven't heard yet have you?"
"Heard what?" He asks taking a quill in hand to jot down some notes in writing that, until recently after tutoring from Tabitha, I hadn't understood.
"Louise is getting married," I say it without the sadness of before. It's getting easier, I think to myself.
"What?!" Colbert-sensei exclaims almost dropping the next vial he'd picked up.
"You heard me," I say, a ghost of a smile flickering across my face. "To Julio. I found out this morning."
"And I always thought it'd be you," he mutters under his breath.
"What?" I ask him, leaning forward slightly to hear him better.
"Nothing," He replies, waving his hand that doesn't hold the vial dismissively. "How are you taking it?" He asks.
"Fine I guess," I say fidgeting with my fingers. "Del says I'll get over it sooner than I think I will."
"He will," Del says from on my back.
"How can you be so sure?" Colbert-sensei asks Del, selecting a green vial and adding a drop of it into a blue vial, making a small poof as they come in contact.
"Deep down he's always known that," Del says in a bored tone as if it was common knowledge. "Why do you think he's never completely shoved the others away?"
"I just thought he was being nice…" Colbert-sensei says, considering the other options now. "Or he was just being dense."
"It's a little of all three," Del says. "But he has honest feelings for all of them."
"Who will he choose then?" Colbert-sensei asks jotting down more notes on a different piece of paper.
"Um guys," I say clearing my throat. "I'm sitting right here." I emphasize the 'here' with my hands, gesturing to the seat I'm currently sitting in. "Don't act like I'm not here!"
"You are very right," Colbert-sensei says with an amused smirk. "Who are you going to choose?" He emphasizes the 'you,' which kind of irritates me but I smother the feeling.
"How am I supposed to know? I didn't know any of this was going to happen…."
"Yes you did," Del says. "I thought we went over this earlier?"
"Fine, I didn't consciously know that Louise was going to pick Julio and marry him."
"Who do you like most so far?" Colbert-sensei asks. "That's the best way to start."
"Agnes," I say jokingly, but when the answer is met with silence I look at Colbert-sensei to see a calculating look on his face.
"She's always an option." He taps his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if your friend Jessica could be considered an option…"
"What the hell?!" I exclaim. "I met it as a joke!"
"Well…" Del says. "You have attracted more attention than you think, Partner."
"Ugh," I complain and rub at my head again.
"Scarron could even be an option," Del says, trying to hide his laughter.
"I'm going to freaking kill you!" I yell, drawing Del from his sheath and chucking him at the door.
"Hey, be careful!" Colbert-sensei exclaims, worriedly.
A little over an hour later I'm sitting outside staring up at the sky as the sun sinks below the horizon, turning everything a red-gold color. The two moons begin to glow brighter as their time comes.
"I meant it as a joke, Partner," Del says apologetically.
"It is fine," I say leaning back against the wall. "I overreacted so it's partially my fault to."
Del is silent for a little while as we sit there. "I'm sorry," I finally say to him.
"Whatever for," Del asks.
"For all this," I say gesturing out at the area in front of me. "For all the trouble I've caused you and throwing you earlier."
"It's fine. You've been through a lot and I'm glad it's you by my side."
"What are you gay?" I ask at the strangely mushy comment from him. "That's completely unlike you Del!"
"Umm," Del says but I continue without listening. "I mean come on man. What's with you recently? Do you miss Louise or something?" I contemplate that idea and laugh.
"What's so funny," Del asks offended.
"The thought of you missing Louise," I say smiling up at the sky.
"I wouldn't miss her anyways," Del scoffs. "I'm not a lesbian." … I'm silent for a minute before something hits me.
"Wait what?" I ask confused.
"I'm not a lesbian," Del repeats.
"I know, you just said that, but what do you mean by that?" Why am I thinking like that? There's no way Del's a…
"I'm a girl," Del deadpans my thoughts.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" I exclaim, jumping to my feet.
"What's wrong?" Tabitha's quiet voice greets my outburst.
"Del just told me he was a girl!" I explain to Tabitha.
"Why is that so surprising," She asks eyeing me.
"First off his voice is waaaaaaay to deep to be female and second I imagined a sword as being male or a no gender sort of thing, 'ya know?" As I explain Del just laughs.
"Anything is possible," Tabitha says and then looks up at the now much darker sky. "Are you staying with me again tonight?"
"Do you want me to," I ask feeling my heart beat against my chest. I study Tabitha's face for a moment as she looks up at the now blazing two moons. In the moon light she looks calmer and I can't help but feel attracted to her. The moons' light lights up her hair and face in an unearthly glow, giving her already intelligent eyes the look of having the knowledge of the gods.
"That would be nice," She says looking back at me to notice my looking. "Plus I can't have you sleeping out here on the ground now can I?"
"I guess not," I say, my face coloring slightly.
"Come," She says holding out her hand to me. I take her hand hesitantly and then she leads us away to her room. Her hand feels surprisingly small in my own. Out of nowhere a memory floats into my head. It wasn't all that long ago but it was of the night I'd mistaken Tabitha for Louise in our bed. She'd asked me to not stop but I never got the chance to ask her why because then Louise had come in and gotten the wrong idea.
"Hey Tabitha," I ask quietly.
"Hm?" She responds.
"That time," I begin and she turns her head to look at me out of the corner of her eye. "When you asked me to not stop… What did you mean?"
When she doesn't answer I give her hand a light squeeze. "It's alright," I say smiling at her. "You don't have to answer. I was wondering that's all."
"It's fine," She says quietly. I hear her take a deep breath before she continues. "I didn't want you to stop because of my coronation."
"Your coronation?" I question her.
"Yes my coronation. As queen I can't just pick just anyone to be my king… They expect me to pick a noble man…" She says in a monotone voice, showing no real emotion except maybe the smallest hints of sadness.
"Oh," I say piecing it all together.
"If you'd 'claimed' me in that way there was no way they could say no to you." I can hear her air quotes around the word claimed.
"But would you have been happy with me at your side?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yes," She replies without any hesitation. "More than you can ever know," She says looking at me with an odd expression in her eyes, and it is then that I realize what that emotion is.
Love.
A/N Hey guys! I got two chapters in in just one weekend! I feel accomplished! I love the reviews and follows they give me good motivation!
A Special thanks to llat-2 for the reviews! They're encouraging so thanks! ^_^
Anywhos hope you enjoy! Let me know what you thinks it helps my creative juices! :D