The Dance
Ch X
Eä stifled a yawn. Wedding receptions could be sooo boring! This one had proved to be no different, despite the fact that it was a royal reception. Oh, the palace was beautiful; the most wonderful place she'd ever seen. It was decorated with flowers all over the place, even though few were actually in bloom here. Large tables had been set up for the banquet, lavishly decorated and garnished dishes had been set out already, though it wasn't anywhere near time for dinner yet. The guests were almost as decorated as the room: soldiers looking smart in their uniforms, nobles in capes and tuxes, ladies in gowns dripping with jewelry.
Eä's dress had been so fixed up by Jessica that she had considered it overdone, but compared to what some of those present wore, she looked plain. The gloves that Leene had insisted that she wear were really beginning to get on her nerves now. But all the tiresome bickering with Jessica and Leene finally paid off. Even those who thought she was a witch quietly remarked about how she looked. She began to regret listening to the two, because this dress was horribly uncomfortable; heavy and stifling. She had entered the hall in a trance, bedazzled by the splendor of the transformed room.
But the glamor soon wore off, and staying awake began to become a difficult task. as boredom set in. The problem was that there was no way to fix this; most of the townsfolk had long since stopped talking to her by choice of her unladylike behavior and also by Simmons' stories, and the others were all occupied in some way or another. In fact, after the day at the town raid, some of the people in the town crossed themselves and/or hid at the very sight of her. It didn't really matter to her though, all they usually did was complain. But tonight, she'd even had settled for a droll old farmer complaining about fixing a broken down fence. The fact that no one even looked at her again or acknowledged her in their sneering and smug ways hurt. She didn't like being totally ignored, even if it was all whispers, sneers, jests and rumors. Many were convinced by the help of Simmons again that she was an undercover agent for the mystics working for the Magus, though she shivered at the idea of ever coming face to face with her once- favorite character.
So, Eä stood alone near the entrance to the balcony, which had a rather nice view of the gardens below. The cool night air mixed with the warm party air making it the perfect temperature to fall asleep while watching the others dance about gaily. She stood in somewhat of a dazed stupor, not exactly asleep, but not far from it. Making her get up earlier that morning to help Leene get prepared for her big day was paying for it now. She hated getting up before dawn, and today was even worse because of the extra hour. A slight touch at her arm made her jolt to consciousness. Leene giggled faintly, and whispered,
"I'm sorry for waking you Eä. If you're bored, why don't you ask one of the men around here to dance? I'm sure they'd love to, since you look so stunning in your gown." Eä laughed lightly, but shook her head.
"No. I don't think they will. They know me as that freak girl who was supposed to die several times, but ended up with mystic powers and causes dangerous explosions and accidents. It doesn't matter though, I can't dance. Besides, I bet they're afraid of Cyrus saying something about it." Leene laughed full heartedly at this, seeming to smooth over the bit about her being a freak.
"Oh Eä! I'm sure that you dance well, you're just too modest! I'll find you a dance partner to prove you're wrong, if it's the last thing I do!" She dashed off, leaving Eä to only stand and sigh. She really didn't know how to dance, well, at least not their kind of dances. Ha! They'd all faint if they saw the kind of dancing and outfits Eä was used to seeing at parties! A smile crept over her face at the idea of some of the more obnoxious visitors falling flat on their faces as her friends showed them a taste of dancing in the future. God! Those parties had been so much more fun (and she hadn't really liked them before)! A soft throat clearing noise made her snap out of her reverie and look up.
Cyrus looked even more handsome if possible in his uniform. He still wore the purple cloak of the Knight Captain, but he wasn't wearing his armor, so he looked even more muscular than before. His normally tousled fair hair was brushed back, giving him a more dignified look, but retaining his look of gentle kindness. She smiled up at him, which seemed to make him pleased. She said jokingly,
"You know, I think that you're the main attraction here tonight, Cyrus, maybe even competing with the new royal couple. I think Glenn would be your only competition, but he seems to have run off to find a safe place to hide." Cyrus chuckled, and grabbed them each a drink. Since Eä didn't drink wine, she put it down on the table next to her. Someone would find it eventually, and they'd get rid of it one way or the other. Cyrus flushed slightly, suddenly remembering this.
"Sorry about that. You know, Miss Dinn, you sound a trifle jealous. And if that is the case than I must make it up to you somehow. Tell me how I might right the crime I have just committed." She wagged a finger at him menacingly.
"You don't need to give me anything else, you silly fool. This magnificent necklace must have cost you a fortune, but I thank you... But you can remember to call me Eä! And I'm not jealous, just sympathetic." He began to retort something back when a crowd of ladies swarmed over to him, pushing her out of the way. They fawned over him, making him retreat a bit with a startled look of fear.
"Oh, Sir Cyrus, here you are! We had gotten sooooo lonely !"
"Yes, Cyrus, why did you leave us so early?"
"Will you dance with me, Cyrus? This is my absolute favorite song!"
"No, he promised to dance with me first. Didn't you Sir Cyrus?"
Cyrus put his hands up as a shield against the advancing women. He looked over at Eä, who shot him a dirty look and began to storm off fuming. He pushed the women out of the way as politely as he could, and walked over to grab Eä's arm.
"I'm sorry, ladies, but I'm afraid that I asked Lady Areä here to dance with me before I even met any of you. Now, If you'll excuse me, we have to hurry to catch this song." He gently grasped Eä's hand and pulled her towards the floor, despite her efforts to free herself.
"No, Cyrus! I don't know how to dance! Let me go!" She began to break free, but Cyrus pulled her to face him.
"Then I'll teach you. Just follow my lead, and move when I do." Eä caught a glimpse of the girls who had been drooling over Cyrus, and saw that they were now attacking her with venomous looks and frowns. Eä sighed.
"Well, there's another four people who hate me. You know, I'm beginning to feel a little unwelcome here Cyrus, but I'm not a hundred percent sure why." She gasped as the music began, and lurched forward as Cyrus tried to begin to try to dance with her. Of course this had to be a fairly peppy jig, with complicated footwork. This song certainly sounded familiar... She tripped over her skirts and almost fell back. Cyrus caught her arm though, and righted her quickly.
"No Eä. You need to pick up your skirts so that you won't trip on them. Guess I kinda forgot to tell you that part." She gathered up her skirts, and Cyrus took her hand again. Just as she had begun to get the hang of it, the tempo suddenly changed to an even quicker beat. This caused Eä to trip over her feet and almost go back again. Cyrus moved quickly to come from behind her, and she fell back against him. She reddened, and tried to flee to the safety of the shadows, but he caught her arm again and turned her to face him.
He wasn't angry at her being a klutz, actually more amused than cross. He gave her a charming smile and picked up her hand again. She managed to get a sweeping glance around the room and spotted the new royal couple dancing. Richard had a look of complete happiness upon his face, and Leene seemed equally serene. Although she could be a bit dull witted and mousy at times a trait that reminded Eä of her descendant Marle , Eä was happy for her and glad that she was content. As the two swept out of her view, another familiar looking couple came into view. The man seemed to be having as much trouble as she was... Wait, that was Squall from Final Fantasy! And his partner, Rinoa, who was making him dance, just like Cyrus was making her! But he was better at it... Wait a minute, was this game-hopping allowed? Certainly she had seen other traces of it before in the towns, and Final Fantasy was a Square title, but still...
She forgot about the two misplaced adventurers as she once again trod on Cyrus' foot, and she mumbled apologies quietly. She tried to follow his lead again, and was actually starting to get somewhat of a bearing on the steps when one of the jealous vixens had made her way over to them with an attractive dancing partner. The "lady" came close to them, and unobtrusively kicked Eä in the ankle. Eä fell forward onto Cyrus, who didn't seem displeased at all. Taking a quick glance at the sneering woman, she saw that some of the other nobles were smirking behind their gloves and fans. She got off of him quickly, and quietly begged him, "Cyrus, please let me go." He seemed unhappy to do so, but did as she requested, loosening his grip on her wrist. She quietly thanked him and retreated to the wall. Cyrus tried to follow, but a flock of women came over, making him end up being pushed back into the throng of the dance.
Eä soon lost sight of him, but was in a way relieved. Here by the night air from the balcony , she didn't have to feel enclosed in the tight ball room atmosphere, and would be able to nurse her injured pride. Well, that had helped brighten her day! She was on the brink of tears because she was tired, irritated, embarrassed, (maybe even a little jealous), pressured from all sides in this atmosphere, and.. and... and she didn't want to be on this stinking little planet anymore, even if it was a time from Chrono Trigger! She sniffled, and tried to compose herself. No point in giving these stuffy aristocrats a chance to strike at her when she was vulnerable. She perked up her ears towards a conversation between two noble ladies who had been smirking at her attempts to dance.
The elder woman spoke up in a tone of distaste. "You know, I don't think that she is a human. Cyrus may defend her, but everyone else is convinced she's up to no good. I think the young man has fallen in love with her, which is probably how They planned it. She's probably one of their agents, here to assassinate the royal couple after becoming friends with them" The younger girl looked up in slight confusion.
"They..?" The first woman looked angry.
"The mystics, you fool! I swear, all the young nobles today are just for show, and have nothing behind them! It'd be better if everyone was plotting against everyone else, then at least some of us would have brains and beauty." The young girl looked hurt, and whimpered.
"I'm not that stupid... But do you know what makes me really angry? I was talking to Freddy and he told me that he thought the girl was attractive. Can you imagine that? He said that she was even prettier than me!" The woman laughed, and nodded to a passing lord before continuing.
"She is. But I'm sure it's just a mask for a mystic naga-ette. Or maybe she is that lovely a human. If that's the case, I'm sure she's the Magus' mistress. No face like that would go unnoticed for too long, and I'm sure that he's noticed her, if he didn't select her personally for this assignment. She may not be a noble, but with a face like that, the young men will gladly look over that and let her get away with anything, even murder." The young girl smirked at this.
"Hah! That girl isn't a noble, that's for sure! She has the feet with the talent of ox trying to walk a tight wire! " The two burst out laughing, and the elder woman gave a sideways glance to Eä with a cruel smile on her face. Those two had known that she was there the whole time, and were knowingly making a fool of her within earshot! This brought Eä to a mixed emotion between rage and tears, so she left the still laughing duo as she raced outside into the colder air.
As she left, several couples quickly detoured away from her to go look at the stars farther away. She glanced into the room again to see if anyone was watching her before quickly making an escape into the gardens. She left so quickly, she didn't even notice that she was being shadowed.
Once she was out of view and earshot of the lovesick couples, she decided to vent, and released the flood gates. She couldn't hold it in anymore, and she was safe here; safe to cry until she died of dehydration. After several minutes, she managed to calm down, and dried herself as best she could. No point in returning all bleary eyed!
"No point in returning at all," she muttered to herself in a low tone. She took a deep breath and inhaled the cool air, then leaned back against a tree to gaze up at the stars. The constellations weren't even the same as home's, but they were close enough to give her a little comfort. A chilly breeze made her quickly rub her arms to try to warm them. The brisk air made her remember that it was still early spring, and there was still the possibility of snow. She breathed in deeply again, then closed her eyes. A soft chuckle brought her out of her reverie and made her open her eyes in shock, but she quickly closed them again with a sigh.
"Please go away. I do not wish to talk to anyone, nor do I wish to be the butt of their jokes. I've been insulted enough for one night." She heard the chuckle again, followed by a low but soft voice saying,
"I'm not here to insult you. Quite the contrary actually."
A waft of rose perfumed the ever increasing breeze in front of her, making her open her eyes slightly. They widened quickly when she saw that less than five inches from her face there was a deep red long stemmed rose being held by a pale hand. She gasped and followed the hand up the arm, past the shoulder, and up to the face of a young man.
Dressed in a simple blue merchant's vest, black pants, and a white shirt, he was as tall as Cyrus, though a bit younger. His dusty yellow brown hair topped a face with a fair complexion, though angular ( also somewhat familiar...) His eyes though... there was something in his purple eyes that disconcerted Eä. Something arrogant, angry and ...sad, in a way. He smiled down at her, his eyes softening, and offered the rose again. She frowned and turned away, crossing her arms in irritation.
"I'm sick of being the center of the town's jokes. Was this a dare someone put you up to, or are you being 'clever' on your own? Do you even know who I am?" The man laughed at this, and lowered his arm.
"Yes, I know who you are; I doubt there is anyone here who doesn't. You're the talk of the town you know, Miss Dinn. " Eä turned to him, puzzled, trying to guess what he wanted.
"Well... aren't you going to run off screaming demon, or are you going to try to shrivel me up with a cross? People have tried both you know, but no one has dared to talk to me." She got up to leave before he could throw any insults in response to this, but shrank back as he emerged from the shadows in front of her smiling. She stepped back nervously, and said,
"What do you want?" He stepped forward the paces she had just put between them, and took up her hand in order to make her clasp the rose. She stared down at the rose, then looked up at him nervously, waiting for his response. He was polite, but creepy too... He let his smile grow, and bowed slightly.
"Actually, Miss Dinn, I was wondering if you'd give me the honor of a dance."
He stepped back in surprise and pain as Eä dealt him a backhanded blow, and she threw the rose onto the ground, crushing it with the heel of her slipper.
"YOU-You-You baseborn bastard! How dare you mock me! I'd rather be ignored than confronted to be humiliated!" She turned around angrily on her heel, ready to storm off. She began to stalk off, but he grabbed her arm, jerking her back. She spun around enraged to tell him off, but froze when she saw his face. He was obviously peeved, his free hand rubbing his reddening cheek. He looked up somewhat angrily, his eyes flashing in irritation, but calmed himself down enough to argue reasonably.
"Listen to me! I'm not mocking you! I'm sorry if it seems like I did, but I really didn't mean to. I honestly do wish to dance with such a lovely lady as yourself." She studied him closely again, and saw that all his anger had been replaced with earnestness. He either really did want to dance, or he was a master of disguise and masks. Eä tried to break away, but his grasp was too strong. So she decided to try rely on her charm and sweet talk her way out of it, mustering up all the innocence she had as learned how to from Jessica to show upon her face.
"I'm sorry for striking you sir, it's just that I was insulted a little while ago because I can't dance. I would be most appreciative if you wouldn't mind me trying to avoid further embarrassment." She flashed him one of her most charming smiles and batted her eyes. He stepped forward grabbing her other arm and said,
"I swear that you won't be embarrassed if you do. I'd be honored beyond words if you would. Please." The familiar tingling feeling that she got when accidents happened began to travel up her arms from where he held her. She looked up into his eyes, her own slightly widening in fear. He smiled again and implored, "Please?" She gulped, then slowly nodded, making the tingling feeling begin to subside.
She walked along, as if entranced next to the man. He paused again at the balcony's edge, almost as if he was afraid to go in amongst the crowd. He smiled down at her and said, "We can dance here if you wish. The music is just as loud here as it is inside, the air is cooler, and fewer people will watch us here. Do you mind?" She shook her head, and smiled faintly as the man clasped her hand and put his other around her waist. The music started up again, this time in a slow dance. He showed her the proper position, then began to lead her about slowly. Eä looked up at her mysterious partner, paying no attention to the music.
He was kinda handsome, but not like Cyrus or Glenn. Her lips cracked into a slit grin at the fact that his ears were slightly pointed, giving a Link-like appearance to his already fascinating face. Now who was it that had elf-ears here...? She couldn't remember very well, she seemed to have fallen under a spell in which she could not break free to think or protest, only follow the man around the balcony slowly. The tingling sensation had seemed to add some talent to her feet, or maybe it was just her new teacher who helped her along... He smiled down at her, and a faint blush crept onto her face. She felt a little guilty because Cyrus could be watching, but hey, he wasn't anywhere in the small group of astonished onlookers and she'd been pushed aside before. He hadn't even come to comfort her when she ran out, so if he didn't like it, tough.
The music ended too soon, and Eä let go of him reluctantly. That was the turning point for her evening, since it had so far failed to live up to her expectations. The stranger grinned, and led her over to the balcony wall overlooking the gardens. "You see, you're just too modest. " She blushed and looked at him shyly.
"You're a wonderful dancer, Sir."
"And so are you, Miss Dinn. Everyone was wrong about you. Not only are you beautiful, you're talented too. What other hidden talents do you have that I could try to awaken? There is rumor that you have magic." Eä paled a little, and tried to back away, (though not too much...)
"I don't think I have magic, but odd things do happen once in a while when I'm around. I wouldn't call it magic, just freak accidents." She was reluctant to speak to a stranger of her problems, so she moved away a little more. Another rose appeared in front of her, a white one this time, and she giggled quietly as she accepted it this time. "Do you have a florist shop up your sleeve?" He chuckled,
"Something like that. What kind of accidents do you mean? Why don't you tell me all about it? We can sit out here in the cool air, undisturbed." She breathed in the rose, and sighed.
"Well... okay." She told him about the raid, the fish, the tree, and several other little "misfortunes" that had occurred every once in a while when she was working. He didn't seem to be amazed or doubtful, he just seemed to sit and think over what she said. She slumped down onto a bench, and twirled the rose between her fingers.
"You probably don't believe me. It's okay though, no one else does either. Or they do and think I'm a witch sent by Magus. I wouldn't work for him though, not even if my life depended on it!" He turned to look at her, an odd expression of his face.
"No, I believe you, it's just... odd, that's all. " She sighed.
"Yeah..." She looked up at him and laughed lightly. "You know, I've just told you about the last half year of my life, but I don't even know your name." He helped her to her feet and laughed at himself, all brooding from his face gone.
"How silly of me! I'm a merchant from Choras, here on a business trip. I'm staying with some friends who told me about you. You were right, they did put me up to a dare. But I'm glad I took it to talk to you, Miss Dinn. You're absolutely wonderful." She blushed at this, but pressed,
"Thank you, Sir, I had a great time tonight too. But what is you Name?"
"Ah, yes. My name is Janus Zeal."
Eä snapped back her hand and stepped back a few paces. All her happiness seemed to have drained out at the mention of that name, and the force of the spell had been shattered. She hoarsely whispered, "No, you're not." He seemed perplexed at this reaction, and came forward again, making her cringe back even more.
"What do you mean? That is my name, not the best, but mine all the same. Is there something wrong with it?" He tried to hold her hand again, but she yanked it away.
"Janus Zeal was a prince who disappeared more than a thousand years ago. You can't be him or you'd be-" She broke of abruptly, aware of the chilly wind again. "Janus'" face was in a state of shock. Obviously he didn't expect anyone to recognize the name for royalty.
"Why couldn't I be another Janus Zeal? Or even one of their descendants?" She shook her head fiercely.
"No. The queen... she was killed in the destruction of her undersea palace, her daughter disappeared in an earlier but similar accident, and her son Janus-" She backed up even more, and finished in a whisper, "Janus was sent to around the year 578-580 AD." This seemed to surprise him the most, but he continued advancing with a smile saying, "So I could be him." She shook her head again.
"You don't have blue hair." He paused, but added,
"It can be dyed." She backed up again, hitting the rail of the balcony. She trembled as he came over to pull her closer. She said in a low voice.
"If you were the Prince, than you are Magus." His fingers stopped abruptly, and he recoiled as though hit . He didn't speak for a few moments, but then let out a strangled,
"How can you be sure that this Prince is really the Magus?" She answered hesitantly,
"I-I know the past, present and future of this world. I know the basic life story of about seven people, one of whom happens to be Prince Janus. If you are him, then you'd better leave now before anyone else recognizes you." He began to change suddenly, his clothes growing darker and his features paling. His eyes flashed red as grabbed her arm and started to try to haul her off somewhere. She gasped, and he paused a moment, suddenly releasing her as if changing his mind. He backed up, saying,
"Well, perhaps you're right, Miss Dinn. I think I'll leave you now, but I know that we will meet again sometime in the near future. Goodnight, my dear lady." He kissed her hand gently , then started to walk off, melting in to the shadows. Before he was totally gone, Eä called out, "Mr. Zeal!" He turned to look at her, and she sniffed the rose in her fingers fondly.
"Even if you aren't Janus Zeal, you're still kinda cute. I look forward to meeting you again!" She winked, blew him a kiss, then turned to gaze up at the stars again.
Something that sounded like a snort turned her attention the other way, and Cyrus stood there, scowling. His outfit still gave him a look of supreme authority, but Eä simply looked at him and grinned. His brows furrowed, and he glared accusingly at the rose in her hand.
"I thought you said you couldn't dance, but you seemed quite able to for that young man who just left. A pity really, I wanted to talk to him very badly..." He cracked his knuckles, and looked off in the direction "Janus" had left. He looked back at her irritated, and frowned again. "He seemed to have said something that upset you terribly, but you still were flirting with him all the same. I don't understand you , Eä. If you didn't want to dance with me, you should have just said so." He gave her his puppy dog eyes and she laughed, coming over to put a hand on his shoulder.
"I think I did tell you I didn't want to dance. I've no idea how to do a jig, but slow dance is much easier, and I've danced them once or twice back home. As for flirting..." She brushed a hand over his cheek, then laughed. "From the appearance of it, you've been flirting with several ladies tonight, all with different lipstick shades too!" He blushed and tried wiping the smudges off with an end of his cape. This resulted in more smearing, so Eä took out her own handkerchief and rubbed them out herself. As soon as she stopped, Cyrus thanked her, but still seemed adamant about knowing what Janus meant to her.
"Why did he give you the rose then? I think that needs an explanation." She boxed him slightly on the shoulder, and looked up smiling.
"Mr. Zeal was acting on a dare, Cyrus. He was just a flirt, and he doesn't mean anything to me. Anyway, I probably won't see him again because he's from Choras, so forget about him. Now, to make it up to you, can I have the next Slow dance?" He grinned, recovering his good humor and said,
"Why, Miss Dinn, you've read my mind. Shall we?" He held out his arm, and she took it, allowing him to lead her into the din again. He let go of her hand for a moment, telling her to wait. While he went off to go say something to the orchestra, she asked Jessica, who was standing a few feet away and chatting with some of her lady friends, to hold her rose for her. Jessica looked inquiringly at her, but Cyrus was back before she could ask for any information. Cyrus lead Eä to the center of the room and got into the proper position. She looked up at his wry smile, and titled her head in question.
"What's so funny? What did you say to them?" He held her closer as the music began to start up in a few chords, and whispered into her ear, "I told them to play a special song that they had been practicing earlier. They all loved it when they heard it, so they've decided to play it tonight. Don't worry, you'll recognize it in a minute." Sure enough, after a few more chords had been played, the soft and soothing melody of "Singing Mountain " began to wrap the crowds in a hushed and attentive silence. She gaped up at Cyrus, who smiled fondly.
"I told you you'd know it. It's a beautiful song, and one of the members of the orchestra had heard it when you first played it. He liked it so much he made an arranged version and used it as a practice song for the group. I came across them this afternoon playing it, and asked if they'd play it tonight for me." She smiled and put her head on his shoulder.
"It's beautiful Cyrus. Thank you for asking them."
They slowly made their way about the floor, and the melody ended with a soft chord. When she picked up her head to see where they were in relation of the room, she had just enough time to see they were surrounded by other couples who were busy getting ready for the next dance before she caught Cyrus' eyes. He smiled and drew her up to give her a kiss.
To say she was shocked is an understatement, but she got up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. When they broke apart, she struggled for words, but found none. Then, she glanced about to see several pairs of eyes on them, and reddened. Cyrus simply shrugged, pulled her over to the side of the room and gave her another, a bit more nonchalantly this time. She looked up at him amazed, and he grinned sheepishly at her astonished face. He stammered out,
"It just seemed like the right thing to do at the moment, so I did it. Hope you don't mind too much..." She opened her mouth to tell him she didn't mind it at all, but closed it as another knight came over and slapped Cyrus heartily on the back. The man had obviously had one too many goblets of wine, and he threw his weight onto Cyrus for support.
"Yeah, Cyrus! Way to Go! Is this the Babe you said you had the hots for? You gonna marry her now, or what?" Cyrus seemed a bit bashful at this remark, and said instead,
"Hey, Scott, how about I take you out back and throttle you? I'll let you go out and get watered down in the stable troughs. In fact, I'll escort you there myself. I'll be right back, Miss Dinn." He put the man's arm over his shoulder and helped him make his way across the room to the exit.
Eä watched him as long as she could before losing him in the crowd, then turned to see Simmons standing behind her. She gasped and stepped back, but he stopped her by putting an arm in front of her. She scowled at him and pushed him away before turning to face him fully.
"What do you want, Simmons?" He sneered and took a drink from his goblet before answering.
"I just wanted to praise you on a performance well played. Or are you going to tell me that he kissed you?" She glowered at him, and asked again,
"What do you want Simmons?" He laughed at this, turning it into a cough. As soon as he was able to speak again, he looked down at her again.
"Same thing I wanted before, but this time I've a bit more at stake for you." She frowned and stared up at him.
"What do you mean? " He laughed and put an arm around her lowering it as he spoke, making her squirm in disgust under his unrelenting grasp.
"I heard your little fairy tale that you told Cyrus and Glenn. It was quite interesting, actually, and I thought that the King might like to hear it. I mean, not only are you the prettiest lady here, you also know the future of the country! Not a bad thing, if you ask me, but it only helps my case further still. If your little tale was told to the public, you'd either be called a lunatic, or you'd be burned at stake for being a mystic. And if everyone found out that you knew that Cyrus was going to die and he did, well, I'm not sure they'd be disinclined to believe that you had a hand in it. I-"
"Think you'd better leave, and I couldn't agree more. Good bye Simmons. Please take your hands off of Areä." Cyrus came over and pried the man's fingers off of her wrist, then put his own arm around her. Simmons sneered, but bowed.
"Of course, Sir Cyrus. I was just leaving. Do give me an answer soon though Miss Dinn, because if you don't, I'll have to take my business elsewhere. Good Night." He spun on his heel and faded into the crowd. Eä shivered as he left, but Cyrus wrapped his cape over her.
"I hate that guy... What did he mean Eä? What business?" She shook her head and rubbed her arms.
"He doesn't have any, he's just trying to be important. Thank you though. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm tired and I've a lot to think about. Will you tell Roberts I won't be able to take him up on his offer for a dance?" He nodded, and released her gently. He saluted her and said,
"Allow me to escort you, my lady. I'll make sure that none disturb you as you ascend to thy chamber to slumber." He held out his arm again, and she took it, despite the icy glares she was receiving form the other women in the room. She stopped momentarily to get her rose from Jessica before letting Cyrus lead her out and through the halls towards her chamber. At the door, she gave him another kiss and a hug before thanking him, bidding him goodnight and letting him float down the hall on cloud nine back towards the festivities below.
Magus teleported back to his castle, dropping his peasant disguise. The imp guards squeaked when they saw him, and straightened up as much as they could. He stormed past them and headed towards his throne room so he'd be able to think in peace. Unfortunately, Ozzie was there, reclining on his throne while eating something crumbly. Normally, Ozzie would have ended up a pile of charred bones on the marbled floor, but he just wasn't in the mood right now. Ozzie choked as he saw the Mystic lord approach, and hopped up to his feet in salute spilling the crumbs over the floor and blood-red carpet.
Magus swept past him though, and disappeared in a flash of light. Ozzie gaped at this, and decided to follow the mystic lord to have a chat with him. He followed the man up to his chambers where he melted through the door, and a quiet click could be heard. The fat mystic floated over to the door, and pressed his ear to it. He decided to try to open the door when a hand clapped him on the shoulder. He turned round to face Flea and Slash, both beaming in the fact that they'd caught him spying on their lord. Ozzie tried to indicate that Magus was upset, pointing to the door and making gestures. Flea immediately caught on, and pressed her ear against the door. Slash however, was having difficulties. After several attempts from Ozzie, he still seemed confused, but leaned against the door. The door suddenly sprang open, sending the three sprawling onto their faces. Flea jumped up wailing,
"I BROKE A NAIL!"
"Serves you right for trying to spy on my personal business." They scrambled to their feet, and bowed deeply to their lord. He was standing by a window, obviously irritated by something. He glanced angrily at the three before turning his attention to the moon again. Ozzie pointed to the strange behavior of the king, a smirk of triumph just barely hiding behind his mask of concern. He dared to walk up to him, and asked him a question that was nagging him.
"So, how'd your date with the girl go?" Magus spun to glare sharply at the hovering fool, then turned around fully to confront all three of his incompetent generals.
"Well, it went fine, except for the fact that there were several little things we talked about that I wasn't prepared for. She recognized me through the disguise, for one. Not even Cyrus could do that, but she did." They looked shocked, but waited for more information. He continued even more wrathfully, "So, why wasn't I told about all the accidents she caused? The incident with the poison, for one. I don't recall seeing that in the reports, though I can see by the looks on your faces that you did know about it." Slash stood gaping surprised, Ozzie floated nervously, and Flea continued to whimper about her nail. Slash cleared his throat nervously.
"We figured the only reason she survived was because the poison wasn't strong enough. Nothing worth reporting, she simply ate it before the queen, thus ruining the surprise intended for Leene." Magus scowled at his audacious captain, and continued even more irritated and upset than before.
"Well, how about her knowledge of the future? Shouldn't that have appeared in the headlines of at least one of your reports?" Flea looked up at this, and blew across her nails before answering.
"That's impossible! No one knows the future, not even us, and we have more magic in our pinkies than that little wench could even begin to fathom!" Ozzie looked at Magus, confused.
"So do you think she has magic, or just some strange psychic ability? Or even the more likely thing, that she was lying?" Magus sat down in his chair, pondering the same question he had been stewing over at the window again.
"I don't know. It doesn't seem like she was lying, nor does she seem to think that she has magic. She thinks she just happens to be in the area when odd things occur. But with the tree... it seems like she has an ability to kill violently, but also to restore life. I'm not sure, but she sounds like she has the potential of a magic I have not seen in years since... I think that we should interview this lady personally, right here in the castle. Then we can see if she's of any use to us, or if she's a threat we need to destroy." Flea seemed to forget about her nails and shoved the other two out of the way. Bowing low, she said,
"I am here at your disposal, Lord Magus. Just say the word and the girl is as good as here at your feet, begging for mercy." Slash stepped up beside her, blocking her from view.
"It's obvious that Lord Magus wants the job to be done, so I'm here for your commands. Unlike Flea, I will not buckle under the pressure if I am marred in any way. I enjoy a good fight." He brought out his slasher and began to run his finger along its blade, cutting his finger and allowing his green blood to flow down the blade. Ozzie also came over, but just bowed his head on account that he was too fat to bend at the waist.
"I won't go, because I'm no match for Cyrus. But I'll send my best spies out to get her while I prepare a set of "lock" shackles, just in case she tries anything." Magus glowered in disgust as the three began to bicker back and forth for the job. He finally pounded his fist on the table, making them quiet down immediately.
"Listen you idiots! Flea, Slash, you two can go get the girl. Ozzie, prepare the cuffs, and a room- magic proof, mind you." They all bowed and started to disperse when he shouted, "Wait, you incompetent fools! Do either of you even know what she looks like?" The silent interval made him continue. "Here, look." He drew up a window again, and after a few seconds of crackling, Eä's image appeared. As she came into focus, she could be seen still in her gown, sitting by a window. In one hand was the rose, which she twirled about in her fingers absently while gazing at it with a slight frown on her face. In the other was her new necklace. Flea laughed loudly.
"A lovesick teenager is an easy target for a kidnaping. We'll be back with her in no time, My Lord Magus!" They bowed and completely vanished, and Ozzie followed in suite, only nodding to the Mystic Lord instead of bowing. Magus watched Eä a few minutes more, and decided to listen in on her obviously confused thoughts.
"I shouldn't have told him that... Who knows what he'll do... I was so stupid! What if he wants to know more? He'll send those three sad excuses of henchmen after me, then I'll get caught! Then I'll have to tell him about the gates, and Lavos, and how his sister disappeared... Damn! I should be at home, sketching these people, not living with them! If I ever get out of this stinking world, I swear I'll sue Squaresoft for killing off or changing all good looking characters! Or for turning the cute characters into cruel but still good-looking warlocks... Drat! If that was him... And to think that he, Magus- Janus Zeal, was my favorite character! These people were so much more agreeable as cartoon characters! So much easier to kill off without a qualm... Crap, what am I going to do? I can't tell Cyrus, that'll kill him even earlier than he's supposed to die, and I can't let him die futilely going after Magus with the Masamune either. God, I can't tell him how all his hopes and dreams are going to be crushed when Magus lifts his finger and zaps him! I can't let him die, I don't care what will happen to the history of this stinking planet! If I let him go after the Masamune, I'd be betraying him and Glenn. Oh Glenn! I can't let him be turned into a frog! Why is life here so hard? Curse them all! If I was at home right now, I'd be destroying Lavos, not worrying about if a wizard is after me! On the other hand, he has magic, and he's been through the gates before, just like me. He's pretty much in the same boat I am. And he's kinda cute... Too bad he's intent on ruling the world... Oh, wait! He isn't! That was just a ploy to throw the mystics off his real original purpose of summoning Lavos! I remember now... Maybe if I do meet him, he'll have an idea of how I can get back home! Summon up a gate or something along those lines... If I do have to face him, I'll have to ask him. Hm, chuckle and I do hope I see him again!..."
Magus let the image slip, and it faded away. The girl was only upsetting him more; he had to find out what she had meant about a game, how she knew about his tactics, and what she knew about Schala... And, how he fit in with the seven she had mentioned before. Maybe even ask her about his future... Ah, well! Plenty of time to question her when she got here!