Seymour sighed. The books were getting boring and he didn't need to study anyway. Thunderguard duty, heh, that was a good joke. Meriol made it a point, every day, to complain at least once about working for Seymour, with a twinkle in her eye and a playful nudge. He knew she was grateful for providing cover so that they could just hang out all day, but Seymour had, as a practical joke, volunteered his handmaiden for thunderguard duty, proclaiming loudly that she had forgotten her place and needed punishment. So now Meriol was out there, in the wind and rain, watching for travellers, fiends, and unusually bad weather. The only downside was that Seymour could not be out there with her, as Trommell was afraid that the young heir might get hurt, so Seymour was forced to compromise to study in this cave while Meriol entertained the clouds with her defiant personality. Huh, the clouds instead of him, now that was comically wrong. She was out there now, probably freezing. He yearned to go outside, wrap his arms around her, keep her safe and warm forever, but that was ridiculous. He was a half-Guado, how could anyone ever love and ugly half-breed like him? No way, Meriol didn't love him. No doubt she liked him as a friend, enjoyed the privileges she received, and possibly even pitied him and this, this was no doubt a childish crush he maintained. Why hadn't she come in yet? Seymour knew Meriol was dedicated and stubborn but she should have come in by now, given up by now. He wanted her to, so that he could enjoy the joke, and then her company. Had he gone too far? Meriol violently hated thunderguard, what if she was out there hating him for this, compacting her hatred of thunderguard and channelling it towards him? Heafd in his hands, Seymour regretted his actions. He had probably made the biggest mistake in his life. Blown it, mucked up, thrown away the blitzball, she would never love him now. She would never love him now. In a way, this provoked Seymour to atone for his foolish and annoying actions. It was worth a try.
"What's wrong?" A shadow fell over Seymour's moping figure. "Need a grape peeled?"
That voice, it was Meriol, she had come in. She joked, and smiled at him, she didn't hate him after all.
"No, just this holy truth. It's so amazing." Seymour deliberately tried to rile the foreigners distrust of Yevon. But no, this wasn't the right way to win her love, was it? This was the relationship pattern he had grown complacent in, keeping her at arms length with teasing, lest she discover his feelings and be disgusted. No, no he loved her, and was tired of hiding. Seymour decided he must tell her, must tell her now, or soon.
Meriol tentatively looked into the cave. She didn't understand why she was afraid. There he was, someone she had seen every day for as far back as she could remember. Why did he make her nervous? She was close to telling him how she felt, she was sure. That must be the reason for the nerves. The jovial façade was wearing on her. A handmaidens love… Meriol knew it was worth nothing in Guado tradition. This boy was royalty, too good for her. He would reject her, it would ruin their friendship, and he would hate her for it, be disgusted by the emotions she couldn't control, so why did this knowledge only serve to make her bolder?
"Come, sit here. Said Seymour, gesturing to the space beside him. He wanted her close to him, Yevon how he needed her. "You look freezing."
Meriol sat beside him, her insides churning with butterflies. This was it, she was going to tell him. Oh, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and had to fight to restrain herself from leaning into him.
"Thanks." Meriol said, and laughed, nervously. "I'm ok, really."
"Meriol, I'm sorry for setting you on thunderguard." May as well apologise first. "It was a stupid joke."
"No, It's alright." Replied Meriol. "I needed a reminder of how easy I have it. It was only three hours, anyway."
"But look, you're shivering with cold." Said Seymour. He put an arm around her and tried to warm her up. "I have to tell you something."
Meriol, previously comfortable in his embrace, stiffened. She was started by this. Had he noticed? Was he going to place her permanently on thunderguard and then never speak to her again?
"Sey? What could you possibly have to say?" Meriol asked. Yevon, that sounded stupid. So what, though? Cast her away, maybe his rejection would bring closure.
"I… it doesn't matter." Said Seymour. "Forget I was going to say anything."
"Um… sure." Meriol was relieved. Thank Yevon, he has decided that it doesn't matter. We can still be friends. Meriol made a definite decision not to tell Seymour. He probably already knew anyway.
Seymour payed careful attention to Meriol as she dried herself with one of the thunderguard standard issue towels, and stepped behind a screen to change. He felt sure she had known what he was going to say. She looked relieved! Seymour sighed. He couldn't tell her, which was best, because he felt sure she didn't like him, didn't love him. Meriol finished drying and changing and stepped out from behind the screen. Seymour took her hand and bowed in the traditional Guado fashion.
"Come, as a reward for your diligence in thunderguard, I arranged for us to go on a fiend hunt down the Moonflow."
"Ooh! Shoopuff involved?" Asked Meriol, determined not to make the situation and more awkward.
"Yeah, I figured we could go across the river and catch some elementals." Said Seymour. "I'll do the fighting, as usual. You can… stand around and watch."
"Watch… you?" Meriol asked, struggling to feign disinterest. "Now why would I want to do that?"
Seymour was hurt, though he tried hard not to show it. Certain that she meant this as a sign to back off, he did just that.
There was silence for a few minutes as they walked. It frustrated Meriol, the silence. She attributed it to her own shortcomings, as handmaiden, entertainer. It was more than just peeling grapes, Meriol had to shield Seymour from boredom and pain, a job she took seriously, even if Seymour didn't. Maybe it was her love of him that made her want to protect him so much, or maybe it was protecting him that made her love him. Yevon, the silence was killing her. Seymour must have noticed, because he was staring at her, just staring. Probably wondering what went wrong. Yevon knows Meriol was.
Seymour just stared at Meriol, just stared. Why did he love her so much? She was always there for him, always trying her best to make him smile, always ready with a witty complaint or compliment or some odd comment. Always there, always ready. Whenever Seymour was talking to her, there was no doubt she was paying complete attention to him, whenever they were together she was attentive and caring only about what he was feeling. If he didn't know better he'd think… but no, he did know better. She was way too good for a halfie like him. He dreaded the day she would leave Guadosalam, it had to happen. She would go to Bevelle, possibly, meet someone there and leave him for good. Gah, that was far too painful to think about. He had to find some way to avert any possibility of that occurance, but for now, he would try the next best thing.
"Meriol, promise me you'll never leave me."
"I promise." She whispered, and she meant it, whether Seymour knew it or not.
"What's wrong?" A shadow fell over Seymour's moping figure. "Need a grape peeled?"
That voice, it was Meriol, she had come in. She joked, and smiled at him, she didn't hate him after all.
"No, just this holy truth. It's so amazing." Seymour deliberately tried to rile the foreigners distrust of Yevon. But no, this wasn't the right way to win her love, was it? This was the relationship pattern he had grown complacent in, keeping her at arms length with teasing, lest she discover his feelings and be disgusted. No, no he loved her, and was tired of hiding. Seymour decided he must tell her, must tell her now, or soon.
Meriol tentatively looked into the cave. She didn't understand why she was afraid. There he was, someone she had seen every day for as far back as she could remember. Why did he make her nervous? She was close to telling him how she felt, she was sure. That must be the reason for the nerves. The jovial façade was wearing on her. A handmaidens love… Meriol knew it was worth nothing in Guado tradition. This boy was royalty, too good for her. He would reject her, it would ruin their friendship, and he would hate her for it, be disgusted by the emotions she couldn't control, so why did this knowledge only serve to make her bolder?
"Come, sit here. Said Seymour, gesturing to the space beside him. He wanted her close to him, Yevon how he needed her. "You look freezing."
Meriol sat beside him, her insides churning with butterflies. This was it, she was going to tell him. Oh, she could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and had to fight to restrain herself from leaning into him.
"Thanks." Meriol said, and laughed, nervously. "I'm ok, really."
"Meriol, I'm sorry for setting you on thunderguard." May as well apologise first. "It was a stupid joke."
"No, It's alright." Replied Meriol. "I needed a reminder of how easy I have it. It was only three hours, anyway."
"But look, you're shivering with cold." Said Seymour. He put an arm around her and tried to warm her up. "I have to tell you something."
Meriol, previously comfortable in his embrace, stiffened. She was started by this. Had he noticed? Was he going to place her permanently on thunderguard and then never speak to her again?
"Sey? What could you possibly have to say?" Meriol asked. Yevon, that sounded stupid. So what, though? Cast her away, maybe his rejection would bring closure.
"I… it doesn't matter." Said Seymour. "Forget I was going to say anything."
"Um… sure." Meriol was relieved. Thank Yevon, he has decided that it doesn't matter. We can still be friends. Meriol made a definite decision not to tell Seymour. He probably already knew anyway.
Seymour payed careful attention to Meriol as she dried herself with one of the thunderguard standard issue towels, and stepped behind a screen to change. He felt sure she had known what he was going to say. She looked relieved! Seymour sighed. He couldn't tell her, which was best, because he felt sure she didn't like him, didn't love him. Meriol finished drying and changing and stepped out from behind the screen. Seymour took her hand and bowed in the traditional Guado fashion.
"Come, as a reward for your diligence in thunderguard, I arranged for us to go on a fiend hunt down the Moonflow."
"Ooh! Shoopuff involved?" Asked Meriol, determined not to make the situation and more awkward.
"Yeah, I figured we could go across the river and catch some elementals." Said Seymour. "I'll do the fighting, as usual. You can… stand around and watch."
"Watch… you?" Meriol asked, struggling to feign disinterest. "Now why would I want to do that?"
Seymour was hurt, though he tried hard not to show it. Certain that she meant this as a sign to back off, he did just that.
There was silence for a few minutes as they walked. It frustrated Meriol, the silence. She attributed it to her own shortcomings, as handmaiden, entertainer. It was more than just peeling grapes, Meriol had to shield Seymour from boredom and pain, a job she took seriously, even if Seymour didn't. Maybe it was her love of him that made her want to protect him so much, or maybe it was protecting him that made her love him. Yevon, the silence was killing her. Seymour must have noticed, because he was staring at her, just staring. Probably wondering what went wrong. Yevon knows Meriol was.
Seymour just stared at Meriol, just stared. Why did he love her so much? She was always there for him, always trying her best to make him smile, always ready with a witty complaint or compliment or some odd comment. Always there, always ready. Whenever Seymour was talking to her, there was no doubt she was paying complete attention to him, whenever they were together she was attentive and caring only about what he was feeling. If he didn't know better he'd think… but no, he did know better. She was way too good for a halfie like him. He dreaded the day she would leave Guadosalam, it had to happen. She would go to Bevelle, possibly, meet someone there and leave him for good. Gah, that was far too painful to think about. He had to find some way to avert any possibility of that occurance, but for now, he would try the next best thing.
"Meriol, promise me you'll never leave me."
"I promise." She whispered, and she meant it, whether Seymour knew it or not.