Disclaimer: Your mom Squeenix pwns FF omG!11one
"Undeniable" written by wAAAAAaaaaaRk:D
A mostly angsty & non-romantic Seymour x Yuna x Tidus x God knows who else. :) Perhaps the only real implied romance is Yuna x Tidus ... this is good for me because I don't like Tidus x Yuna terribly well. Tidus is a bit wanky, but a good ol' boy. I wish I could wake up with hair like his without having to style it. So I can't wait to keep writing this, because challenges bring out the best in a writer, no:D But it sould be a good trip for any Seymour x Yuna fans as well! Please enjoy!
Undeniable
Prologue.
As Romantic as it is Useful.
"Yuna, you look ... beautiful."
A sparkle of sunshine from outside the large window caught on her glittering wedding dress as Yuna smiled wearily at her longtime friend and gaurdian. "Thank you, Lulu ..." She saw Lulu smile back at her in the tall three-fold mirror they stood before. But her expression slowly turned stoic and Yuna saw her in the mirror as she rested her hands softly on the Summoner's bare shoulders.
"Yuna."
"Yes?" She thought she might have to repeat this.
"Are you sure?"
"... Yes."
Yuna wasn't sure if 'Yes' was what she wanted, but was sure that 'Yes' was what it had to be.
- About One Week Earlier. -
The familiar scent of burning wax and incense washed over Yuna as she stepped into the delightfully warm entrance chamber of Macalania Temple. She was happy to escape from the biting cold outside, but her fingers were still freezing and her heart had leapt into her throat when the gravity of decision she had to make today came back to her.
She bowed to the monks who met her and her Guado escorts inside. The Guado guards fell into line with the monks and kneeled as Maester Seymour emerged from one of the temple's chambers. Yuna bowed again and he bowed just as formally and smiled warmly and welcomed her to the temple. He did not expect her to reply so swiftly, he said, but added that it was most welcome.
"Please, this way, Lady Yuna."
Seymour and Trommell led her up the steps to the entrance of the Cloister of Trials. Yuna tried to compose her thoughts and noticed the odd way Trommell waddled up the stairs. She wondered how different her life would be after this. She still had her pilgrimage, but ...
The monk at the entrance to the Trials bowed to her and she bowed back almost sacrilegously mechanically. She was tired and tried to not let it show as she thanked the monk when he stepped aside and opened the door for her and the Maester. Seymour walked in front of her to the center of the room.
This chamber is much colder, she noticed with a shiver. Of course, it was more the Cloister of Trials ahead than the temperature outside that made this temple so chilly. The icy temple seemed to suit its High Priest. She remembered studying all the temples of Yevon as a young girl
"How was your journey here?"
Yuna's head snapped to attention. "Ah ..."
"Not too rough, I hope." Seymour turned to face her. "I heard about the Al Bhed you encountered on the way here." He walked up to her and put his hands lightly on her shoulders. She suppressed a shiver from the touch his fingertips were so cold. "I thank Yevon that you're safe, Lady Yuna."
She managed to smile up at him and nod in place of a bow. "Thank you, Lord Seymour." Yuna hoped he couldn't notice exactly how nervous she was, and was grateful when he removed his hands from her shoulders. "Lord Seymour, I ... have reached a decision."
"Yes," he muttered said softly. "What is it?"
Yuna nodded. "I accept your proposal."
Seymour smiled wider than before and nodded back, replacing his hands on her shoulders and speaking her name. She noticed they were warmer than before, and wondered if he had nervous as well, ridiculous as it sounded.
But looking into his eyes now, she found it strange that she really hardly knew anything about her future husband, compared to any standard. In fact, she hadn't spent much time with him at all, their longest encounter surely lasting no more than half an hour, while she knew lots and had for weeks at a time been with, say, Tidus ...
It startled her from her thoughts when he took her small hand in his much larger one and brought it up to his warm lips. Yuna blushed and looked down at his feet. Wouldn't she soon have to kiss those lips to seal their vows?
"Lady Yuna, it is truly an honor that you will accept me as your husband..."
Before she knew it, Seymour had led her by the hand up the stairs to the Cloister of Trials, where she would pray to the Fayth ...
- Present. -
Yuna had rehearsed her walk down the open-air ceremonial aisles that sat atop the Palace of St. Bevelle for days, but during the actual ceremony, she felt a certain dizziness, a mix of nervousness and melancholy. Yuna liked to think that it was just the altitude that caused the tightening feeling in her stomach. She walked slowly to the alter in step with the Yevonite monks that flanked her, and on the other path to the alter other monks did the same with Seymour.
She remembered reading in the Bevellian library about the significance of the two paths that were part of any Yevonite wedding; it symbolized two soul mates finding each other and falling in love, then being wed in Yevon's name.
As they approached the steps to the highest point, she looked at the people lined up on both sides of the bride and groom. She hardly recognized half the onlookers. Yuna wondered: did they and the rest of Spira, for that matterknow that her and Seymour hadn't come together for love? She supposed they must not have, because as she smiled and nodded to many of the attendants, many of them seemed so happy, especially the women she saw with joyful tears in their eyes.
Yuna turned her attention to those nearest to the alter as she and her fiancee drew nearer to their final destination. On Seymour's side there were many Guado and famous Yevonite leaders she had only heard about and never expected to ever meet. The union of a Maester and a High Summoner's was apparently more important than she had thought.
Her eyes shifted to her left, where her friends and Guardians stood. Lulu just smiled while Rikku offered a wink of good luck, Wakka grinned at her and Auron nodded, and Tidus ...
He met her gaze. Tidus smiled (sadly?) and nodded slowly. Yuna felt something tug at her heart. She did her best to smile back.
His fingers reflected his Guado heritage; she could feel his large hands swallow up her small, narrow shoulders, and his long nails brush up against her collar bone. Maester Mika's words on holy matrimony seemed distant from Yuna, and there was an almost awkward pause between one of his questions and her 'I do'.
Seymour offered her a smile. Yuna closed her eyes as he took her arms and drew her to him and she parted her lips slightly for him when his met hers. Bells tolled and people clapped ecstatically.
My first kiss, she mused. She didn't know how or when to break it off and left it for her husband to decide. He pulled away just when she was beginning to feel uncomfortable and offered her his arm.
There was a small strip of dead silence in the gold chocobo-drawn carriage that would carry them to a suite in Bevelle's upper-class district. Yuna preoccupied herself with tracing the dancing gold dragon embroidered on her arm-rest and straining to hear the music playing outside on the streets.
She nearly jumped when she felt his long fingers weave in between hers. He seemed amused by her behavior and embarrassed blush.
"Hm? ... Aren't you comfortable with me?"
Her breath caught in her throat and she smiled, nervously. "No, no, it's not that at all, my Lord."
"Don't call me that." his voice commanded softly. "Please. I don't think I've regarded as anything else my entire life. I honestly don't wish to bring it into my marriage."
"O-oh..." she stuttered, finding herself at ridiculous a loss for words again.
"And don't be so nervous." Yuna felt him stroke the top of her hand with his long thumb. "Just relax, Yuna ..."
She almost admitted to herself how much she liked Seymour's voice. It was soft, calming and the way he'd said her name made her feel... content. "I'm sorry." she muttered, and brought herself to look him in the eyes.
He was smiling warmly at her. Yuna didn't have enough experience in relationships to know how else to react besides to smile right back.
Which is why he caught her unawares when he kissed her.
It was a little different than the kiss they shared during the ceremony. She didn't feel the eyes of the entire world staring a hole into her and she didn't feel the need to wonder about who would end the kiss. As the muffled patter of the chocobo's feet on the road became distant, Yuna took the time to actually feel how soft his lips were, and how gentle he was... it somehow felt sincere, though she felt uncomfortable when she wondered if he really loved her, and if she him.
At least, she didn't think she loved him. A certain part of her admired him so much for his devotion to Yevon and Spira, for his refined behavior and polished good looks. That was what caused her to feel so nervous around him. But when she thought about loving him, there was something missing; the thought of loving him brought about something stifling. Being married to someone who had just as many or even more duties than her meant a tedious, confined existence. Yuna wanted to be free. Her mind wandered. Love...
Tidus.
Yuna eyes opened wide as she startled herself with her own train of thought. She subconsciously broke off the kiss, and was soon mentally kicking herself for being so abrupt. She made a meek noise looked down at the carpet as they hit a small bump in the road.
"Yuna."
She opened her eyes to his steady lavender gaze.
"I know that you may not be here entirely according to your will."
Yuna opened her mouth to make a polite objection but he quieted her.
"But I want you to know that you can rely on me ... and trust me." Seymour's voice was deep and she felt herself downing in his eyes. "Together, we will do great things."
Yuna didn't know exactly what he meant, but assumed this meant he would accompany her on her pilgrimage from now on. She felt glad, but wondered about how awkward she'd feel around Tidus...
"All I ask in return ... is for you to try and learn to love me."
Yuna felt her heart throb in her throat as he squeezed her hand in emphasis.
"I know it won't happen right away, but with time"
The summoner bit her lip and he spoke again.
"I promise you, Yuna ..." She strained her ears to heard his soft voice.
"I won't disappoint you."
Hey. This story pretty old; it's been sitting on my hard drive for a year or so now, unfinished. I have a lot of stuff like that. So sorry if it seems cut-and-paste/fragmented. And I know that "... and she bowed back almost sacrilegously mechanically." is probably the most craptacular line EVAR. But bear with me. I also don't feel satisfied with the end part. I'm sure I'll end up editing this chapter sometime down the road. Anyway, please tell me if this chapter yarned on too much and let on too little. I'm a little worried about if I do that.
thanx. (and always alert me to errors.)
teh VV 4 R !
ps: Lol, now that I think about it, I think that the preview at the bottom is best suited for Chapter 2. I think I want to do more of Seymour's prespective and Tidus's in Chapter 2, so that I can get to more of what the story will be about. Sound OK?
Chapter 1: Inclination Preview:
"So ... is everything okay, Yuna?" Tidus kicked at a stray rock and a dust cloud came up with it.
Yuna opened her mouth to reply, but didn't know what to say. Should she tell him that no, everything wasn't okay, that she wasn't ready to wake up in the same bed with someone every day, that she wasn't very happy, that she didn't know what to do? Or should she say yes, because she was still alive and respected and she should be grateful to Yevon that she had food and shelter and
"Y-Yuna!" Tidus ran to her side and she felt his leather gloved hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter!"
"Tidus ..." She couldn't blink the tears away fast enough to see his face. "Tidus, I'm ..."
Unhappy ...
