Chapter 3

Dinner for dragons

Cecil knew that he was doomed. Desperately he surveyed the long table in the richly decorated dining hall of Baron. But there was no one there to help him: Edward and Yang were politely chatting with the Elder of Mysidia, while Palom was throwing bread balls across the table at Edge, who reacted in throwing a not ending line of insults at the little boy.

Porom alternately hit her brother and tried to reassure the Elder that they were behaving correctly...

Cecil tried to get support from his wife, who was sitting next to him, but Rosa was deeply engaged in a talk with Kain and did not seem to notice him. He was lost! Slowly he turned to his left and faced the elderly woman with a hawk - like nose, who eagerly devoured her second potion of roasted chocobo. It was Margaret Farrel - Rosa's mother and probably one of the few people on this world which he really hated - and feared.

"Say boy... Isn't this King Yang of Fabul ?" She pointed with her fork at the end of the table. Not waiting for an answer she continued in her high pitched voice: "I've heard that he is a wonderful husband - he sure cares very well for his wife..."

Cecil tried to look friendly, but only managed a pained smile: " Yes Ma'am - they sure are a happy couple." Though he was a King; Cecil always called Margaret "Ma'am" - he had done so since he could think of it; and she had never offered him to call her by her name or else.

Margaret gave him a penetrating look, which always made him nervous:

"Yes, I thought so. He sure looks like a man who can take responsibility - one who would never leave his wife alone to go adventuring..." She eyed him from the side.

"No she is starting with THAT again..." Cecil sighed. Even though he knew what was coming next, he tried to stay as patient and friendly as possible: "Well you see Ma'am- in fact Yang already was married the time we fought together and had to leave his wife for a while - in dire situations one has to--"

"Silence!" Margaret snapped and gave him a fierce look. She leant closer to him and hissed: "At least he took care to ensure the safety of his wife while he was away - she surely did not became sick or was brutally kidnapped..."

Ouch! There she had him again! The main reason Rosa's mother hated him was because she blamed him for the dangers Rosa had to face one year ago and she would let no opportunity slip to confront him with these fact. Even so, her accusations hurt every time - partly because Cecil felt responsible for the things Rosa had faced, himself...

He glanced at his wife, who was still chatting happily with Kain, uttering a clear laugh now and then, cheeks red, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling -- she sometimes seemed so carefree. Cecil could not help but wonder if he had not been able to do more for her back then as Kain had kidnapped her; even though Rosa always reassured him that the whole thing had not been his fault. Even thinking of what could had happened if he had not saved her in time, before the giant scythe of the Tower of Bab-il had reached her, made him feel completely down again and he slightly bowed his head. Rosa's mother was content with that. Seeing her son- in-law sitting beside her like an arrested criminal waiting for the sentence always made her happy. She stuffed another piece of chocobo in her mouth and began to chew happily.

"Are you all right, boy?" she asked after a while to make things "perfect". "Tired? I mean, that would only be natural - being a King AND a husband at so young an age as you are surely is difficult... I DO understand very well that you must think you can't cope with it!" She watched him like a snake its dinner.

Cecil gave a help-searching look in Rosa's direction - she knew that when he looked that way her mother was going too far and usually started to calm her down a bit. But Rosa was so busy talking with Kain that she did not even notice him. Somehow this angered Cecil. As he thought about defending himself, his eyes met with Cid's at the end of the table. His old friend obviously had noticed the situation his friend and King was in, and he gave him a reassuring nod. Cecil decided to take this as an encouragement to "attack":

"Well, excuse me Margaret!" His tone was now sharper than it had been before "I surely have made mistakes but I do not feel overtaxed in the least with my work and my life - if you are worried about your daughter, I ...."

"ACHOO!" Margaret disrupted him with a loud sneeze. " Achoo, achoo .."

As she did not stop sneezing; Cecil asked - already a bit impatiently "Are you all right?"

"No! Achoo - were did the flowers in my room came from?"

"The flowers..." Cecil reflected: "Well, Rosa and I selected them especially for you!"

In fact he had bought his mother-in-law the greatest and most beautiful flower bouquet one could buy for money.

"Ah! Achoo! I knew it. Achoo. You want to kill me! I am allergic to these... achoo... flowers!" She gave him an evil stare - with her now red nose she reminded Cecil of some of the mean, little goblins he had fought once.

"You must be kidding, Ma'am!" Cecil was getting impatient: "Just a few minutes ago you were all sound and healthy and now..." He looked at her plate. "Maybe you are allergic to chocobos!" He had to hold back laughter.

"You!" Margaret just snorted angrily and then started to call for water. Cecil used this moment to nudge Rosa softly in the side:

"Mmmh..." Rosa looked at him surprised: "What is it?"

"Rosa. Your mother is really getting on my nerves - if she does not stop soon complaining I can guarantee for nothing. I'd much rather like to talk to the others, too..."

"Please Cecil. Someone has to take care of her - she does not know all these people..."

"Can't you..."

"Darling - I haven't seen Kain for such a long time - just a bit longer..." With that, she turned to Kain, again.

With a sigh Cecil turned back and rested his head in his hands: "Why am I doing that anyway..." he muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something?" Margaret had stopped drinking.

"NO!" Cecil said harshly. "If you just could please shut your mouth for a moment ..."

Margaret gave a gasp of surprise - he had never heard Cecil talking to her that way. With a loud "harrumph" she started to eat her dessert.

"Silence at last - her voice can kill people!" Cecil thought relieved, wondering how easy it had been to silence her - he did not even had to become too insulting.

As he watched the old woman eating her dish out of the corners of his eye, he slowly calmed down. Somehow she looked very frail - he wondered how old she was ... As a paladin he tried to be free of negative emotions like hate or anger as best as he could - with Rosa's mother it did never work... She could not be a really bad person - Cecil could mostly feel the aura a person emanated - in Margaret's case he felt nothing - neither bad nor good. Rosa had once told Cecil that her mother missed her husband very much: Rosa's father had been a knight like Cecil once was and had disappeared during a mission some years ago. Margaret loved Rosa very much and probably feared that her daughter might get left alone, too.

"Deep in her heart she really likes you." Rosa always told him. In fact, when Margaret was together with Rosa she seemed like a nice person.

"Maybe I really remind her of her husband?" Cecil shuddered at the thought. "I am not sure if he disappeared accidentally..." He chuckled slightly.

"What is so funny?" Margaret asked sharply.

The next stage of the drama began:

"Well what I have always wanted to ask you my dear son in law: Is it really true that you are half Lunarian?"

Cecil became cautious. Why the sudden interest in his heritage?

"Yes - my father is a man called Klu Ya from the moon!" he answered not without pride.

"Oh - you poor boy ...It sure is hard then to live on the blue planet with all these foreign rules and..."

Cecil interrupted her:" I have lived her all my life - I am as human as you are!"

He asked himself how human this old dragon really was...

"I wonder what children of Half - Lunarians are like ..."

Cecil felt the blood rushing into his cheeks: "They are pretty normal!"

Margaret did not seem to listen:

"Well, well if this is not King Edward!" she said, pointing at the bard: "Now THAT is a man with talents - his parents sure educated him well and he is a great musician - you must admit that this is something completely different than being a paladin - I mean climbing a mountain and stealing a sword from a holy shrine isn't something very ..."

"NOW THIS IS ENOUGH!" Cecil now was really furious: "Who do you think I am? Becoming a paladin is not that easy - it is a holy process in which you have to face yourself - if you would care to look in the mirror you would see your evil sides too! Let's end this for once and for all:"

"First: I do love your daughter more than my live and never wanted to place her in danger and I am sorry for the things that happened!"

"Second: I may be a Half-Lunarian but I am NOT a monster! I am as normal as everyone else!"

"Third: I am really tired of this mindless quarrelling and would very much welcome it if you could - just for once - behave like a normal, civilized person. I haven't even had the time to talk to any of my friends for nearly TWO HOURS because you DO NOT STOP TO ANNOY ME!"

"Whew !" Cecil thought "That felt good ..."

He suddenly realized that the buzz of conversation in the hall had stopped and everyone was looking at him. Then he realized that he was standing and probably had been shouting all the time...

"Cecil!" Rosa hissed beside him in a tone he had never heard from her: "Are you mad?"

Kain just stared at him, while Palom started to giggle: "Hey - he really gave it to her, didn't he!"

"Palom!" Porom scolded, but had to giggle herself.

"Wow! Cecil !" Edge was the first to speak aloud. "I did not know you could be so - so impulsive!" He started to laugh, too.

Cecil did not feel like laughing: "I am sorry - I guess I am a bit nervous... Kain's return, you all here..."

He looked apologetically, but did not dare to face Margaret beside him.

Suddenly Cid started to laugh out loud too: "No need to apologize your Highness! No offense meant Lady, but we really had already wondered how long Cecil would bear your insults ..."

Cecil now realized all people around the table had trouble to suppress their laughter, even the Elder grinned... Suddenly they all burst out laughing! Before Cecil could apologize again, Margaret had left the room...

"You really went to far..." Cecil scolded his friends.

"Who started it, my dear friend?" Edward asked cheerfully: "Do not worry - tomorrow we will talk with her about it, but for now you should relax and drink something with us!"

"Hey Cecil - it is just normal to lose your temper now and then. This lady is just not fair…" Edge argued. "I mean- you have done so much for the Kingdom and all of us here and you are a great husband as well - being patient with the old dragon for so long ..."

Cecil was probably the only man Edge had ever praised besides himself...

"I fear I have hurt her feelings..." Cecil had found back to his normal self and now somewhat felt ashamed.

"I don't think so!" Yang said. "She looks tough – isn't she Rosa?"

Cecil noticed just now, that Rosa had been the only one not laughing besides him and Kain...

She stood up: "You think that you are very funny, right? Self assured as always ... This is so embarrassing!"

She gave an angry glance in the surprised round and then fixated Cecil, who looked at her sorrowfully. "And you! You had promised to stay calm ... This will have consequences ..." She gave him another fierce look and then grabbed Kain by the arm: "Come one Kain - I am sorry that you had to witness such idiotic behaviour just the day of your return ..."

She rushed out of the room, followed by him. Cecil could not believe what had happened and stared just like the others after the delicate Queen of Baron in total amazement.

"Uh - seems that Rosa isn't that understanding at all..." Cid remarked after a while.

"Maybe you should try to talk with her?" Yang proposed carefully.

"Wrong answer!" proclaimed Edge who had obviously already drunk a lot: "As a LADY'S man I can give you only ONE advise, Cecil: LEAVE HER ALONE - that makes the women nervous and the soon are SOFT AS BUTTER again - trust my experience ..."

"What experience?!" Palom murmured: "I heard that Miss Rydia nearly turned you into a frog as you--"

"You little brat!" Edge hissed with a red face.

Cecil still stared at the door through which Rosa had left.

"I think I will go look for her!" he said absent-mindedly, then, with a look at Edge, continued in a sharper voice: "Please behave yourself ..."

He left the room.

On the hallway he met Kain " Have... have you seen Rosa?"

"She's in your room ... Seems pretty upset ..." Kain answered with a slight grin. He obviously had recovered his wit and the self-assurance very fast, but Cecil had other problems at the moment.

"I guess I went too far this time ... I am off trying to save what's to left to save ..." he tried to sound funny but only managed a helpless grin.

Kain watched him surprisingly cold for a moment then suddenly cracked a smile of his own: "Yep - good luck Cecil ..." He went into the castle wing where his room was located.

As Cecil entered the Royal Quarters, Rosa was about to brush her long, golden hair. She only gave him a sharp glance.

"Rosa - listen ..." Cecil started hastily. " I am sorry - we are all sorry. I know that I have been too harsh to Margaret but this time she really... "

"She really went too far. Yes, I know …" Rosa finished his sentence with a sigh. "I've talked with her ... It really wasn't nice what she said to you but still ..."

She studied her husband for a moment with an angry look but then softened her gaze:

"Ah - the heck with it - just don't do it again ... I guess we have trouble enough with Edge being here and the children - no use in us having a quarrel just now ..."

She gave him a slight smile.

"Thank you Rosa... "Cecil said, rather surprised by the sudden change of heart by his wife. Somehow this all went too fast and he decided to talk out things straight: "I am glad you try to understand, but please let me explain my situation - you see as you and Kain ..."

"What is with Kain?" Rosa suddenly started to yawn. "Hmm - I feel so tired – let's talk about it tomorrow - alright Cecil?" She started to change for the night.

"But ..." Cecil protested. Rosa ignored him and blew out the candles: "Good night!" she lay down on the bed, rolled over and was asleep after a few moments, leaving Cecil standing alone in the darkness...