Chapter 6: Resolutions
Locke paced around his room. It was eleven in the morning, but he had not left his room since he had learned it from Celes. He did not sleep that night, either. He simply couldn't believe the news. He had expected to be pleased when he learned he would be a father, but instead he felt nervous and guilty inside.
Locke's background had influenced his current feelings greatly. His mother told him it was a disgrace when he was a child. Everyone he had known throughout his 25 years was born in wedlock. And now his child would be the first exception to this.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He picked up his unused pillow and threw it across the room.
"Dammit, Locke!" he shouted out loud. "How could you be so stupid?"
*****
"What are you doing here?" asked Cyan curiously.
"I am here because you are still hurting." replied Lola.
"I be not!" declared Cyan, rather defensively.
"You are," replied the unoffended Lola, in the same quiet tone of voice. "I have been hurting, too, Cyan."
"Well, I am rather certain that his liege would be will to show a young lady around the castle and...."
"I've come to see YOU, Cyan," interrupted Lola.
Unbeknownst to Cyan and Lola, Edgar and Sabin saw them go by together. Both were thinking the same idea.
"That old fart?" moaned a baffled Edgar. "What does she see in him? She can't be over my age!"
"Afraid you just missed out, brother," replied Sabin apathetically.
"Sabin, what IS bothering you?" asked the king a second time.
"It's that stupid dead bandit," replied Sabin. "He's gone!"
*****
Locke stood at the door to Celes' room. His mouth was dry, and his entire body trembled. He was wondering if he should even do this. Sooner or later, it would become obvious Celes was carrying a child. And everyone would quickly figure out who the father was. Yet he was still hesitant. They had only admitted their love just days before, and he didn't want to rush her. Still, he realized it was inevitable. Gathering his courage, Locke opened the door.
She had her head buried in her hands, and it was shaking. Locke could hear her sobbing as well. He was saddened so much by her sobs that he almost began to cry himself.
"Hey," he said.
Celes looked up at him until their eyes met. Her face was red, and her eyes were bloodshot.
"Locke.....I....."
She couldn't finish. Locke placed his index finger on her mouth.
"Celes," he began, "I love you."
He stopped there, unable to think of what to say next.
"I love you, too, Locke," replied Celes, before he could continue. "But I don't know what to do now."
"Celes," continued her lover gently as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "I love you so much, and I want to go through this with you. We may have not expected this, bu it's still our child. Our child, Celes. The most beautiful symbol of our love for each other. I want to love you and this child together."
"I know, Locke," Celes whispered sadly, "but throughout my whole life, I've never thought I would have a child."
"Or a family," replied Locke.
Celes was baffled. She had expected him to say something more contradicting, somethingmore like "Oh, you will." She placed her left hand on his upper back, and her right on his left shoulder. He rested her chin on his other shoulder, so that their cheeks were touching. She gave a small kiss as Locke lowered his hands on her back.
"Marry me," he whispered.
Her hands went limp. Did he just say what she thought? Celes released him and back away slightly.
Locke scolded himself. He knew it was too early.
"Yes," whispered Celes.
Locke's heart skipped a beat.
"I.....I'm sorry..."
"No, Locke, I can't tell you how happy you just made me!" replied the joyous Celes as tears beganto stream down her face.
"It's just that....."
"What?"
"I should have a ring. I just didn't expect myself to ask so soon."
"Oh!" Celes giggled. "It's just a ring! You can do anything you want to show your love."
Locke nodded. Suddenly, he undid the button and threw her skirt to the back of the room.
"How about that?" he replied with a wink and a grin.
Celes stood in shock, clutching her now bare bottom.
"Locke!" she cried out, half a complaint and half a thank you. Before either of them could say another word, Celes threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on his mouth. Tears began to flow from her eyes once more.
"Locke?" asked Celes after their lips parted.
"What is it, Celes"
"I was born to fight. Could I ever be a good mother?"
"Well," he finally replied, "I was born to steal. Could I ever be a good father?"
Both broke out laughing. "I thought you preferred the term 'treasure hunter!'" teased Celes.
*****
"So I was going to take my life," replied Cyan.
"So was I," replied Lola quietly. The two of them were seated alone at the castle's dining table. Lola had insisted that Cyan talk. Normally, no one could convince him to do so, but he found it rather difficult ignore a request from Lola. Guilt still possessed him after what he did to her, so he felt like he would often owe her something.
"But," she continued, "I remembered the final letter you wrote. I simply need to find love again."
Cyan could not reply. Looking down, he noticed something that reduced his comfort. Lola's hand was rested on his.
Locke paced around his room. It was eleven in the morning, but he had not left his room since he had learned it from Celes. He did not sleep that night, either. He simply couldn't believe the news. He had expected to be pleased when he learned he would be a father, but instead he felt nervous and guilty inside.
Locke's background had influenced his current feelings greatly. His mother told him it was a disgrace when he was a child. Everyone he had known throughout his 25 years was born in wedlock. And now his child would be the first exception to this.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He picked up his unused pillow and threw it across the room.
"Dammit, Locke!" he shouted out loud. "How could you be so stupid?"
*****
"What are you doing here?" asked Cyan curiously.
"I am here because you are still hurting." replied Lola.
"I be not!" declared Cyan, rather defensively.
"You are," replied the unoffended Lola, in the same quiet tone of voice. "I have been hurting, too, Cyan."
"Well, I am rather certain that his liege would be will to show a young lady around the castle and...."
"I've come to see YOU, Cyan," interrupted Lola.
Unbeknownst to Cyan and Lola, Edgar and Sabin saw them go by together. Both were thinking the same idea.
"That old fart?" moaned a baffled Edgar. "What does she see in him? She can't be over my age!"
"Afraid you just missed out, brother," replied Sabin apathetically.
"Sabin, what IS bothering you?" asked the king a second time.
"It's that stupid dead bandit," replied Sabin. "He's gone!"
*****
Locke stood at the door to Celes' room. His mouth was dry, and his entire body trembled. He was wondering if he should even do this. Sooner or later, it would become obvious Celes was carrying a child. And everyone would quickly figure out who the father was. Yet he was still hesitant. They had only admitted their love just days before, and he didn't want to rush her. Still, he realized it was inevitable. Gathering his courage, Locke opened the door.
She had her head buried in her hands, and it was shaking. Locke could hear her sobbing as well. He was saddened so much by her sobs that he almost began to cry himself.
"Hey," he said.
Celes looked up at him until their eyes met. Her face was red, and her eyes were bloodshot.
"Locke.....I....."
She couldn't finish. Locke placed his index finger on her mouth.
"Celes," he began, "I love you."
He stopped there, unable to think of what to say next.
"I love you, too, Locke," replied Celes, before he could continue. "But I don't know what to do now."
"Celes," continued her lover gently as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "I love you so much, and I want to go through this with you. We may have not expected this, bu it's still our child. Our child, Celes. The most beautiful symbol of our love for each other. I want to love you and this child together."
"I know, Locke," Celes whispered sadly, "but throughout my whole life, I've never thought I would have a child."
"Or a family," replied Locke.
Celes was baffled. She had expected him to say something more contradicting, somethingmore like "Oh, you will." She placed her left hand on his upper back, and her right on his left shoulder. He rested her chin on his other shoulder, so that their cheeks were touching. She gave a small kiss as Locke lowered his hands on her back.
"Marry me," he whispered.
Her hands went limp. Did he just say what she thought? Celes released him and back away slightly.
Locke scolded himself. He knew it was too early.
"Yes," whispered Celes.
Locke's heart skipped a beat.
"I.....I'm sorry..."
"No, Locke, I can't tell you how happy you just made me!" replied the joyous Celes as tears beganto stream down her face.
"It's just that....."
"What?"
"I should have a ring. I just didn't expect myself to ask so soon."
"Oh!" Celes giggled. "It's just a ring! You can do anything you want to show your love."
Locke nodded. Suddenly, he undid the button and threw her skirt to the back of the room.
"How about that?" he replied with a wink and a grin.
Celes stood in shock, clutching her now bare bottom.
"Locke!" she cried out, half a complaint and half a thank you. Before either of them could say another word, Celes threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on his mouth. Tears began to flow from her eyes once more.
"Locke?" asked Celes after their lips parted.
"What is it, Celes"
"I was born to fight. Could I ever be a good mother?"
"Well," he finally replied, "I was born to steal. Could I ever be a good father?"
Both broke out laughing. "I thought you preferred the term 'treasure hunter!'" teased Celes.
*****
"So I was going to take my life," replied Cyan.
"So was I," replied Lola quietly. The two of them were seated alone at the castle's dining table. Lola had insisted that Cyan talk. Normally, no one could convince him to do so, but he found it rather difficult ignore a request from Lola. Guilt still possessed him after what he did to her, so he felt like he would often owe her something.
"But," she continued, "I remembered the final letter you wrote. I simply need to find love again."
Cyan could not reply. Looking down, he noticed something that reduced his comfort. Lola's hand was rested on his.