When Edgar finally returned to his room, he found his brother still sitting
in the same chair. He wondered at how long he'd been sitting there. In
fact Sabin had been sitting in that chair without moving ever since the
woman ambassador had left the room. That was hours ago. He had much to
think about, it'd been a long and eventful day.
As she left the room with a very unpleasant look on her face, Sabin sat down and turned his attention to his brother. That is to say he stared at him. Staring at his brother served as a kind of focal point to help him go through the events of the day.
The woman: She scared him, scared him bad. It wasn't just her personality either, in fact it wasn't her personality at all. Sabin was a monk, or as Duncan used to say, trained in the ways of the hermit, and a large part of that training was sensing someone's soul or aura. It was about the only thing Duncan would ever take seriously. Sabin often used it to scan a person in a fight and just in general to get a better understanding of anyone he was with. He thought this ability would give him an advantage against the ambassador and so he volunteered himself as Edgar's representative. But she was…terrifying dammit, just terrifying. She was frozen fire, like Celes really, except it was her aura, and so it was real. It was no act, it was no shield to keep others away or something inside. She was who you saw, she was pure. That kind of focus was rare among people, and it could be very dangerous. So pure, it scared him, scared him bad.
Edgar: He bore his feelings to his brother, about how proud and frustrated he was, yet he did not tell him everything. He did not tell him the real reason why he'd felt such anguish. Sabin was Edgar's brother, his twin. All through their childhood they had lived, learned, and played together. But then Sabin left. He'd always meant to go back and visit every once and a while, but with his training and…he… Oh who was he kidding, he forgot about Edgar. That's what was killing him, he'd forgotten about his brother, the only person he'd ever really known. And now, as he witnessed his brother the king, he was forced to accept that he did not know his brother anymore. That's a difficult thing to deal with.
And Edgar's dream, that was something unexpected. It made prominent mention of the woman. A goddess was it? In any case, Sabin was no psychologist. The whole thing sounded dramatic sure, but did it mean anything? He just didn't know.
So much to think about, and as it turned out, so little time. Before he knew it, he felt Edgar's hand on his shoulder, waking him from his thoughts. He looked up at him.
Sabin may not have known his brother anymore, he may as well have been a passerby on the street, but he did know people. Sabin, despite his fairly cheerful exterior, was at heart a cynic, and it took a long time before he was willing to accept that love actually existed, that it wasn't just a myth people were so desperate to believe in, but it was rare. Real love, not a 'relationship', but the genuine jump-off-a-cliff-for-you-without-any- hesitation kinda stuff, that was so rare, you definitely knew it if you saw it. And when Sabin turned to look at his brother, when he saw his face, he felt his stomach twist, turn, and perform all other manner of acrobatics while his mind was setting up a drum set for the biggest pounding headache the world had yet to see. He looked at his brother and said only one thing.
"Oh dear god, you're in love." He sounded rather tired.
"Am I?" Edgar said wistfully, "I…I think… You know what? I think you're right. I mean…I just… Wow! You hit it right on the head! I'm actually in love! I didn't think you could be in love, ya know. I mean, I pretend but… Heh…wow…"
"Edgar," Sabin asked slowly, "please tell me it's not the woman. I mean I know it is, but lie to me. Please, just lie to me. I don't care, make something up. You're good at that. You got distracted on the way and met up with a serving lady. You haven't even seen the woman in the past…three…hours… Come on, give me something."
"Why? I'm in love! I never knew I could feel love. For a moment there, I was scared I was coming down with something, but now I feel incredible! Lucile tapped energy out of me I didn't know I had, but now I'm drained, yet I still feel great! Why in the world should I hide it?" Edgar threw his arms into the air and shouted, "I'm in love with Lucile!" He looked back at Sabin. "Is that so wrong?"
"Is that…?" Sabin started to laugh that stressed-out, on-the-edge kind of laugh. "Is that…wow! Okay Edgar, let's put this in perspective. Repeat after me: I am in love with the representative of South Figaro."
"I am in love with the representative of South Figaro." Edgar replied smiling cheerfully. He was now too distracted by his new found discovery to question what Sabin was doing.
"Say it again."
"I am in love with the representative…of…" Sabin was mouthing a word to Edgar, "ribble?…rib-eye…oh! Rebel! Ahem…rebel…steak…stand…state! State of South Figaro."
"All that again."
"I am in love," Edgar began with a smile, "with the representative of the rebel state…of…South…Figaroooh no!" Edgar was no longer smiling. In fact he crashed himself onto his bed with a loud wail. He then proceeded to grab a pillow behind him and hit his face with it.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!…" he cried between hits. Suddenly he shot upright like a spring and gasped. He turned to Sabin with a look of desperation and fear. "Oh no…what if she finds out? What if she knows?! My god she could play me like puppet! The kingdom would be hers to play with!"
"Calm down Edgar!" Sabin replied softly, "Just take a deep breath to collect yourself. I don't think she knows. I was with her for a very short while, but I'm pretty sure it'd be tough for her to accept that love even exists, let alone think you'd fallen for her. Hell, I'm having a hard time believing it."
"What do you mean?" Edgar asked, and Sabin noticed a small hint of anger in his tone.
"Well dammit man, the woman's stone cold! I aint gonna lie to you. I just don't see the attraction."
Edgar looked down at his feet. "You're wrong. She's strong, and graceful, and beautiful!"
"Yeah, they're all beautiful."
"No Sabin! It's not that kind of beauty, it's deeper. I mean, did you see her eyes, my god. You could see so much in them. Lucile's lived her life to the fullest and you know she didn't compromise a thing."
Sabin thought about it for a moment and realized Edgar was right. Her aura had been hard as stone, but damn if it wasn't one of the strongest one's he'd ever felt. He was beginning to understand her appeal, but it still didn't fit Edgar's profile. He just couldn't see her as his type. Then he realized who was he to talk.
Edgar made a deep sigh, "Oh man, I really am in love. All the way…"
"All the way…" Sabin sighed, "So, tell me what happened."
And Edgar did.
As she left the room with a very unpleasant look on her face, Sabin sat down and turned his attention to his brother. That is to say he stared at him. Staring at his brother served as a kind of focal point to help him go through the events of the day.
The woman: She scared him, scared him bad. It wasn't just her personality either, in fact it wasn't her personality at all. Sabin was a monk, or as Duncan used to say, trained in the ways of the hermit, and a large part of that training was sensing someone's soul or aura. It was about the only thing Duncan would ever take seriously. Sabin often used it to scan a person in a fight and just in general to get a better understanding of anyone he was with. He thought this ability would give him an advantage against the ambassador and so he volunteered himself as Edgar's representative. But she was…terrifying dammit, just terrifying. She was frozen fire, like Celes really, except it was her aura, and so it was real. It was no act, it was no shield to keep others away or something inside. She was who you saw, she was pure. That kind of focus was rare among people, and it could be very dangerous. So pure, it scared him, scared him bad.
Edgar: He bore his feelings to his brother, about how proud and frustrated he was, yet he did not tell him everything. He did not tell him the real reason why he'd felt such anguish. Sabin was Edgar's brother, his twin. All through their childhood they had lived, learned, and played together. But then Sabin left. He'd always meant to go back and visit every once and a while, but with his training and…he… Oh who was he kidding, he forgot about Edgar. That's what was killing him, he'd forgotten about his brother, the only person he'd ever really known. And now, as he witnessed his brother the king, he was forced to accept that he did not know his brother anymore. That's a difficult thing to deal with.
And Edgar's dream, that was something unexpected. It made prominent mention of the woman. A goddess was it? In any case, Sabin was no psychologist. The whole thing sounded dramatic sure, but did it mean anything? He just didn't know.
So much to think about, and as it turned out, so little time. Before he knew it, he felt Edgar's hand on his shoulder, waking him from his thoughts. He looked up at him.
Sabin may not have known his brother anymore, he may as well have been a passerby on the street, but he did know people. Sabin, despite his fairly cheerful exterior, was at heart a cynic, and it took a long time before he was willing to accept that love actually existed, that it wasn't just a myth people were so desperate to believe in, but it was rare. Real love, not a 'relationship', but the genuine jump-off-a-cliff-for-you-without-any- hesitation kinda stuff, that was so rare, you definitely knew it if you saw it. And when Sabin turned to look at his brother, when he saw his face, he felt his stomach twist, turn, and perform all other manner of acrobatics while his mind was setting up a drum set for the biggest pounding headache the world had yet to see. He looked at his brother and said only one thing.
"Oh dear god, you're in love." He sounded rather tired.
"Am I?" Edgar said wistfully, "I…I think… You know what? I think you're right. I mean…I just… Wow! You hit it right on the head! I'm actually in love! I didn't think you could be in love, ya know. I mean, I pretend but… Heh…wow…"
"Edgar," Sabin asked slowly, "please tell me it's not the woman. I mean I know it is, but lie to me. Please, just lie to me. I don't care, make something up. You're good at that. You got distracted on the way and met up with a serving lady. You haven't even seen the woman in the past…three…hours… Come on, give me something."
"Why? I'm in love! I never knew I could feel love. For a moment there, I was scared I was coming down with something, but now I feel incredible! Lucile tapped energy out of me I didn't know I had, but now I'm drained, yet I still feel great! Why in the world should I hide it?" Edgar threw his arms into the air and shouted, "I'm in love with Lucile!" He looked back at Sabin. "Is that so wrong?"
"Is that…?" Sabin started to laugh that stressed-out, on-the-edge kind of laugh. "Is that…wow! Okay Edgar, let's put this in perspective. Repeat after me: I am in love with the representative of South Figaro."
"I am in love with the representative of South Figaro." Edgar replied smiling cheerfully. He was now too distracted by his new found discovery to question what Sabin was doing.
"Say it again."
"I am in love with the representative…of…" Sabin was mouthing a word to Edgar, "ribble?…rib-eye…oh! Rebel! Ahem…rebel…steak…stand…state! State of South Figaro."
"All that again."
"I am in love," Edgar began with a smile, "with the representative of the rebel state…of…South…Figaroooh no!" Edgar was no longer smiling. In fact he crashed himself onto his bed with a loud wail. He then proceeded to grab a pillow behind him and hit his face with it.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!…" he cried between hits. Suddenly he shot upright like a spring and gasped. He turned to Sabin with a look of desperation and fear. "Oh no…what if she finds out? What if she knows?! My god she could play me like puppet! The kingdom would be hers to play with!"
"Calm down Edgar!" Sabin replied softly, "Just take a deep breath to collect yourself. I don't think she knows. I was with her for a very short while, but I'm pretty sure it'd be tough for her to accept that love even exists, let alone think you'd fallen for her. Hell, I'm having a hard time believing it."
"What do you mean?" Edgar asked, and Sabin noticed a small hint of anger in his tone.
"Well dammit man, the woman's stone cold! I aint gonna lie to you. I just don't see the attraction."
Edgar looked down at his feet. "You're wrong. She's strong, and graceful, and beautiful!"
"Yeah, they're all beautiful."
"No Sabin! It's not that kind of beauty, it's deeper. I mean, did you see her eyes, my god. You could see so much in them. Lucile's lived her life to the fullest and you know she didn't compromise a thing."
Sabin thought about it for a moment and realized Edgar was right. Her aura had been hard as stone, but damn if it wasn't one of the strongest one's he'd ever felt. He was beginning to understand her appeal, but it still didn't fit Edgar's profile. He just couldn't see her as his type. Then he realized who was he to talk.
Edgar made a deep sigh, "Oh man, I really am in love. All the way…"
"All the way…" Sabin sighed, "So, tell me what happened."
And Edgar did.