Despite the danger he would be putting himself in, despite Ultimecia's smugness should she find out, and despite every ounce of his pride screaming and pleading with him, he went anyway.
He went to see Rosa.
Just one more time, he told himself. Then he could be done with it. Done with her.
So he made the trip to Order's Sanctuary. But he hovered just out of reach, staying halfway between physically entering the place and teleporting away.
Ah! And he came at the right time, too. Cecil was trying to plead with her about something, but she was having none of it. He wanted to be closer to her, to see her face and hear her voice and feel her aura of energy and strength just once more. He silently edged closer and closer, circling around the arguing warriors until he could see her emerald eyes.
As soon as his eyes one-sidedly connected to hers, however, he felt a pang of embarrassment and remorse. He shouldn't have come. It was only making him remember how she humiliated him, how he regretted not keeping her. Her very air and confidence with which she carried herself and flaunted her magic. . . He could've had both gods hoodwinked by now with her help. He could've conquered this whole cycle by now. They would've had gods and warriors alike BEGGING for mercy. She shined of goodness and light and peace and virtue, but that wasn't something the Emperor couldn't have fixed.
He stared at her, suddenly glad she couldn't see him. She already saw him deeply humiliated once, first hand, and he was not about to let her see it again any time soon-
"Cecil, stop!"
Just then he noticed the pain and confusion on her beautiful face.
"Cecil would dare try to harm her?" he inquired in surprise. Cecil wasn't the kind of man to verbally attack anyone, let alone a woman. Let alone a woman like her. She could crush him like a bug. So why did she not?
"We were married before being called to the war!"
"I don't remember ANY of that!"
What. Did he. Just. Say?
"I wanted to tell you from the moment I saw you here! But you were so guarded that I didn't want to offend you!"
Cecil. Harvey. Was her champion?! He was the one that held the prize?
HE. Was. Her. HUSBAND?!
"No, it couldn't be! She's denying it! She doesn't remember him! So it couldn't be true!"
"Cecil, please, I-. . . You're lying." She started to turn towards the others, wincing, as though what he was saying physically pained her. Her denial made him smile. At least if HE couldn't have her, no one could. Not even Cecil.
"No, Rosa, I'm not! Please, you MUST believe me!"
She didn't answer, just kept walking, and Cecil surged forward and grabbed her hand. "Your ring!"
"Let go of me!"
"No, wait! Your ring!"
The Emperor's blood ran cold. The ring. . . the WEDDING RING?! OF COURSE! He described it in his mind as he remembered it while Cecil said it aloud to her.
"Diamonds and rubies. . . "
". . . alternated around a larger diamond."
"You already know what the ring looks like!" she protested. "Y-you've had plenty of opportunities to take a good look at it!"
"Rosa, I LOVE you-"
"Cecil, we WEREN'T-"
She cut off and her eyes immediately glassed over. He realized that she was remembering things, probably the wedding. And Cecil STILL had her hand!
He wanted to jump in and rip Cecil's hand from his wrist. But he stayed in the shadow, although he was certain that his rage was perfectly visible and screaming at everyone by now.
She slipped, her hand slid from his, and she fell back in the water.
Rosa pulled herself up and threw her arms around him.
The Emperor turned away. He could see no more.
He looked to the others that also had the misfortune of witnessing what he saw. The Warrior of Light, who was staring right at him as if he could actually see him, Firion, Tidus and Yuna, Cosmos herself. . .
Cosmos. Cosmos herself.
Yes. A plan hatched and he smiled coldly.
Revenge on them BOTH, AND Cosmos' destruction?
Oh, he just couldn't resist.
He went straight back to his throne to mull it over.
"Yes. Cecil and Rosa, wrapped around my fingers, and Cosmos, she'd be so unsuspecting. . ." He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his fist. Why, if he never formed another plan. . . This was the mother of all plans! Easy resources, easy application, a little bit of luck- well, sure, a lot of luck. He needed much to go well, and was very dependent on others, but even with one or two misfortunes he could pull it off himself, if need arose.
But, my, was this a PLAN! Just wait until he told Ultimecia. She'd be jealous that she hadn't thought of a plan like this. And why not get started? He couldn't wait to see how all of this panned out. Even the gods wouldn't see this coming. Not even Shinryu would be able to anticipate all the complex, inner workings conspiring against the cycle until HE was at the peak.
First things were first. "Where did those idiots take Golbez?"
