Just a little note: don't get confused about Esaru and Isaaru. It's the same person. Isaaru is just the correct FFX spelling. Enjoy the rest of the story and don't forget to leave a review. A little feedback always improves writing!
*o*o*o*
Symble was startled. She froze in her position, unable to think of what to do.
"It's just me." A young man said from the other side of the door. Symble opened the door slowly and peeped. It was just Isaaru.
"I saw you running away. Are you alright?" Isaaru asked, calm and friendly as usual.
"Yes, I'm fine. I was just creeped out by a bug I saw." Symble said, forcing a smile.
"You amuse me." Isaaru said. "You are one of Spira's best summoning and magic users and a tiny insect scares you?"
Wishing he would go away, Symble tried her best hysterical laugh. His facial expression seemed to get more serious even though he kept up his smile. He entered the room and shut the door.
"Tell me the truth, Symble. I know you were spying." Isaaru said. Symble tried her best not to show any emotion to what he said.
"I haven't seen the Maester the whole day. When the Maester goes missing, it's mine and Tromell's duty to find out where he is." Symble said. Isaaru looked unconvinced.
"If you are supposed to be looking for him then why were you spying on Yuna?" Isaaru asked.
"I overheard the servants say that he is with a Lady." Symble replied. She had no problem telling Isaaru these things. To her, he seemed so trustworthy.
"Lady as in summoner or from a temple?" Isaaru asked.
"Yes," Symble replied, "There are only three Ladies in this Mansion at the moment. I had to check on all the possibilities."
"I understand but that still doesn't explain why you ran away from Yuna's door like that. I saw you use a forbidden spell!" Isaaru said. "Symble, what did you see?"
Symble was getting visibly annoyed with Isaaru's questioning but he still pressed on. Isaaru always cared more than should about people. It was why he became a summoner and Symble learnt that about him within weeks of knowing him. Many people admired his unusual humility, but not Symble. She found it annoying and pathetic and wasn't going to tolerate it any longer.
"What I saw or didn't see is none of your damn business, Isaaru, and if you want to tell the temples that I'm using forbidden magic then go ahead because the Maester taught me everything I know!" Symble raged and opened the door as she did. "Leave, now!"
*o*o*o*
The next morning, things were tense at the oval breakfast table. Yuna sat next to Seymour for the first time since she arrived. Isaaru sat next to Yuna, being sure to avoid Symble. Symble sat next to Donna even though she always sat next to Seymour to discuss plans for the day.
The five of them ate in silence. The only sounds that filled the room was the sound of servants all around them and chimes from the kitchen. Yuna occasionally smiled at Seymour and he smiled back. Symble watched them knowingly. Isaaru looked at her and frowned many times but she didn't even notice him. Donna stared at the golden chandelier hanging above the table, wondering what the heck was going on. She got the hint that she shouldn't ask.
At the end of breakfast, Seymour stood up to make an announcement. Tromell arrived just in time. Some of the servants stopped to listen to what Seymour had to say.
"I have a very important announcement to make and I insist that all of you share this news with all of Spira." Seymour said, speaking more casually than he normally would. "I have decided to marry Lady Yuna."
Tromell and all the summoners were shocked, including Yuna who seemed more excited than usual. All the servants cheered up and clapped hands and some were singing to express their joy.
"Shut up! All of you!" Symble yelled as she rose to her feet and kicked her chair away. A purple aura seemed to radiate from her. One servant got such a fright that she dropped the dishes she was holding and ran away screaming.
"I said shut up already!" Symble repeated. There was dead silence afterwards. "What is wrong with you people? Why in Yeavon's name are you celebrating? This is a disgrace to the temples!"
The servants wailed. Yuna stood up, about to give Symble a peace of her mind but Seymour placed a hand on her shoulder, telling her not to do it.
"You, Seymour, you have her in bed for one night and you suddenly want to marry her?" Symble questioned rudely. The servants wailed again.
"That is precisely the reason why I want to marry her. It is the law of Yeavon." Seymour replied with his usual calm and classy attitude. The servants wailed again.
"Maester Seymour, do you not deny what she is accusing you of?" Tromell asked.
"Why would I deny something so memorable?" Seymour said. The servants gasped. Yuna's face turned bright red with embarrassment. She placed her head in her hands.
"So that's what you saw last night!" Isaaru yelled. He sounded more excited than he intended to.
"I am completely lost." Donna said as she got up to leave. "I'll be at the Guadosalam shop."
Everyone ignored Donna.
Symble looked at Isaaru and thought about how she hurt his feelings the previous night. She looked at Yuna and wondered how humiliated she was feeling about her and Seymour being exposed sooner than she would have liked. Lastly, she looked at Seymour who seemed not to care what Symble had to say. It made her feel weak and powerless.
Symble's rage melted into a great depression as she looked at Seymour and remained quiet.
"I should punish you, Symble. You were spying on us yesterday. I could sense a spell being used at the door." Seymour said calmly.
Symble didn't know what to do or say as she felt the looks of surprise and disgust all around her. She burst into tears and ran away to her room.
"Symble!" Isaaru called out. He felt a bit sorry for her, despite the way she spoke to him the previous night. He went after her.
Seymour proceeded to fix Symble's damage to his reputation the way he fixed most problems in Spira.
"Spread the news of my engagement." Seymour said to Tromell. He responded by bowing.
"As for the rest of you, keep this incident among yourselves and only speak of my engagement. That is all." Seymour said as he left. Yuna followed him out and Tromell and the servants all made the sign of the prayed as they left.
*o*o*o*
Isaaru followed Symble to her room but just as he was about to reach the door, she used Blizzard to make a shield of ice to seal the door. Isaaru dispelled it and entered the room.
At first Isaaru didn't see Symble when he entered. He looked up and saw her sitting in the narrow upstairs of her room that was like an indoor veranda. The only way to get up there was by using the wooden ladder.
Isaaru climbed up the ladder. It was only when he was standing on the landing that he saw her clearly. She was on the floor with her knees to her chest, sobbing by a small candlelight.
Isaaru sat next to her. He couldn't tell if she was ignoring him or if she just didn't notice him there so he put a hand on her arm. She twitched a little. He was almost frightened by how sensitive she was in that moment.
"Symble, why are you so upset?" Isaaru asked cautiously. She barely moved and hardly blinked as the tears flowed freely.
"Why are you so upset about Maester Seymour marrying Lady Yuna? I thought you'd be happy. I heard you are his best and most favourite student and- "
"I'M HIS FAVOURITE! NOT YUNA!" Symble raged as she cried more. Isaaru said nothing more after that and found it would be better if he just listened. After she calmed down, she told him why she raged like that.
"I grew up here in Guadosalam. Seymour's parents raised me as one of their own but I was kept a secret until now." Symble started.
"So you grew up with the Maester?" Isaaru asked, surprised at what she told him.
"Yes, we grew up together. He was my only friend and I was his only friend." Symble said. "He was always so smart and talented and taught me everything I know. He still taught me things when he became a summoner and I was still in training. He was like a guardian."
"So," Isaaru hesitated before asking, "So do you love him?"
"Yes, but like a brother. Nothing more, nothing less." Symble said. Her voice was lower and more gentle this time.
"Then why not be happy for him, like a sister?" Isaaru asked. It was that he believed her. He just didn't want to add to her misery.
Symble stared at the ground as if the answers were written on it.
"I don't want him to marry a summoner or any woman of the temple. I want him to marry a common woman. Just someone who is different from the rest of us temple folk." Symble said. "His mother said the same thing years ago. I didn't agree with her but now I do because I understand why."
"But Lady Yuna is-"
"I don't care what she is like! He can't marry that Lady because the temple corrupts us!" Symble yelled. She was expecting Isaaru to be shocked by what she said, like he was about most things that she said. Instead, it was his response that shocked her.
"I couldn't agree more. The temple is the most corrupt aspect of Spira," Isaaru said. "And that is the reason why he should marry someone from the temple."
"I don't understand, Isaaru." Symble said. She had calmed down.
"He can't marry a common woman because she might become corrupt or worse: she might exposed the temple. Do you realise how much your life would change? Chaos would break out. The temples hold Spira together." Isaaru said.
Symble began to see reason. She imagined what would happen if the temple was to be removed from society. She also considered what Seymour's mother said. Perhaps she just hated the temples.
Symble wiped away her tears and smiled for a while before remembering how humiliated she was at breakfast. She began to cry again.
This time Isaaru hugged her. She closed her eyes and leaned on his chest as she cried. After a few deep sobs she looked up and he smiled at her. He still had his arm around her when he wiped away her tears. She blushed and giggled a little.
Isaaru was just about to let go of her when she leaned closer. So close that their noses almost touched.
"Don't." Isaaru whispered. His face was turning bright red.
"I wasn't going to." Symble said. Isaaru felt embarrassed for assuming she was going for a kiss.
They both laughed and broke away from each other.
"I'm glad you still have your sense of humour when you are upset." Isaaru said. "I thought you were the overly serious type."
Just then, they heard someone at the door. Symble hinted at Isaaru to continue talking normally while she quietly crawled to the ladder.
Symble almost reached the ladder when she saw long white sleeves and a purple skirt pass the door.