A/n Thanks for reviewing back…umm…you guys are welcome to any suggestions or corrections to some of the mistakes I make…just so that I won't have to embarrass myself with my lack of knowledge… Anyways…let's see what Yuna decides. Hope you guys like my decision…
Prince Seymour of Novy stormed out of his study. His piercing silver eyes were narrowed into two perfectly snake like slits matching Rikku's description. "That witch! I'll show her what happens to filthy mongrels when they say no to the Prince of Novy!" He spat out his contempt making the Novy guards cringe and flinch in fear. As the prince stomped past the two guards guarding the court room to where his throne was, the guard shook grimly at his hopeful partner. "Nope, no raise in our pay check this week either Hans." His partner grumbled.
Seymour continued to grumble and curse Yuna under his breath while he plopped down on his platinum gilded throne. The vein like marks upon his forehead seemed to darken and heighten in colour. The chief advisor beside raised a delicate white eyebrow in question towards the calligrapher. He shrugged his shoulders lost at what could have made their cool mannered master so enraged that day. The chief advisor coughed delicately. "Ahem…err...what seems to be problem my liege?"
"PROBLEM? You dare ask me what my problem is? I'll tell you what the problem is! The problem is that my father, a man married an equally royal blooded woman and ended up with me, a perfectly flawless man and gave me a kingdom that had succeeded in greatness for the past decades! Then tell me why a filthy half-blooded mongrel like that Lady Yuna, who doesn't have an ounce of royal blood, gets to rule the most powerful kingdom in all of this damn colossal Karanya?" (A/n Remember Karanya is the world they live in and it has three main kingdoms, Novy, Arips, Dheb-la, D'nakranaz and many islands) He backhanded a goblet of wine for a finish.
The page picked it up and swiftly left the room where he had no wish to see more of his master's fury. The chief advisor sighed, "She said no my liege?" "NO? HA! Not only did she say no, she had the guts to mock me by saying she wasn't good enough for me...I'll show her just wait I'll —" The old man interrupted, "Sire, instead of just sitting around and whacking goblets into the air for your rage, why not do something about it?" "Like what?" "Why don't you blackmail her into marrying you? You do have fifty prisoners from Arips locked in the dungeons and you know how protective she is of her people."
Yes, she was and because of that protectiveness she had attacked Novy two years in her plight to bring those fifty prisoners back. She hadn't succeeded since his dungeon was virtually impossible to break in but she managed to capture a hundred of his men. And what was even worse, she managed to make them her allies and now those insufferable men were residing in Arips with their wives and children whom took a 'vacation' to Lenais, a district near Arips. Seymour had vowed to exact revenge for that day of humiliation. However, he had another plan…eh thought as he stroked his chin.
He went over to the white orb standing upon a similar statue to the one that Yuna had. He moved a hand over the lustrous ball and cried out Lady Yuna! Soon enough, the orb began to fog and slowly cleared to show Yuna's face. She looked defiantly at Seymour. "What do you want Prince Seymour? You already have my answer…" "Oh, I know I'm very sorry to disturb such a high prestigious person" he mocked, "But I had to ask your opinion." Yuna waited narrowing her eyes. What was he up to? "You know that your kingdom has reached immeasurable standards…by far exceeding mine." He said the last words in a thinly veiled voice of contempt. "But…what will happen to your beloved kingdom when..." he smirked, "when Sin is destroyed?"
He would relish that face of hers forever in his mind. The fear, the uncertainty and the fact that he had intimidated her was priceless. "What are you getting at Seymour?" her tight controlled words were music to his ears. "Why nothing Yuna, I was just worried about your kingdom. See I would have made you a wonderful husband. Arips isn't even mine and —"
"What do you plan to do with Arips once I'm dead?" The bubble had finally burst. "Tsk…tsk…poor Yuna…the pressures of the kingdom are getting to you aren't they? Don't worry…I'll make sure to take care of your people…" he laughed "In my dungeons!" With that Seymour swished a hand over the orb again, ignoring Yuna's angry outbursts and protests. He smiled darkly as he sat upon his throne again. "Sire, what if she still refuses?" The chief advisor knew Lady Yuna was wise as much as cunning. "Then I'll have to send someone to get her won't I? And I know a certain someone who will do anything to know where their father is…" He sat twirling his pale blue bangs lightning bang.
"Ooh…the nerve of that – that pig!" Yuna burst out of her room with her long waist-length hair wrapped up in her yellow sash. "Hmm?" her Dheb-lain cousin casually looked at her cousin while playing monkey barrels. "What did Seymour say now?" she asked as she began to pick up the monkeys again with her pinkie. She wasn't surprised that a man like Seymour wouldn't be so easy to ware off. "That damn insufferable cold fish! He intends to take over Arips after I'm gone." Rikku cringed at the words and also at Yuna's unusual style of covering her hair. She seriously needs to visit the spa one day… "There, there I know you still won't marry him for that."
"But what can I do?" Yuna exclaimed. "I can't have another war right now. Our economic resources will be down and we won't recover fast enough in time for me to journey and defeat Sin!" She paced the Dheb-lain carpet gifted to Yuna by Rikku's brother.
Suddenly, Rikku's eyes perked up to an idea. "I know…you know how my brother right now is the chief general to Dheb-la's army? We can ask him to give Arips protection from the Novyons?" Rikku's brother's best friend was the Sheikh himself of Dheb-la and it wouldn't be so hard to convince of that, Yuna thought. "It's not a bad idea. I think we can do it. However, I have to get Lulu's advice on this and then if everything works out, I have to get Kimhari to round up Arips' army in case Seymour tries to attack." Rikku nodded and got back to her game for she had dropped all the monkeys and had to start all again. Her small pink lips pursed and shook her head sadly. Her cousin's life was exactly like her and her game of monkey barrels.
"Well, what news do you have for me?" Seymour's tone was menacing and it wouldn't soften towards the dark and pathetic creature. His big frog like features and dirty slime covered clothes didn't help to give a better impression of him. "I-I-I have news from Arips. L-La-Lady Yuna plans to hide out in Dheb-la. An-And they also plan to ally themselves with Dheb-la so they could withstand you in case of any attack after she's done and gone with Sin. Ah…they will be leaving in three weeks." Seymour's nostrils flared. Dheb-la may not have been a big kingdom but their defences were one of the best in all of Karanya. "How do you know for sure?"
"Oh, I was staying in one of the taverns and heard some men whispering a few words. They had secretly been called to her court, hundred by hundred so they would be told a few things by her grace. I happened to perk my ears up because I always love a bit of juicy information and I knew right away it would be of importance to you. Even though I did get a few hits here and there for they saw me snooping sire." The regal prince whipped his head to face the coward before him. "You fool! You may as well have given up our position! Great now I have to work twice as fast thanks to your stupidity."
Seymour began to pace back and forth in front of his throne on the marble floors. The chief advisor sighed and asked, "Will you call upon the pirate now? You know how he thirsts for that piece of knowledge that you have." Seymour smiled, his snake-like eyes twinkling. "Yes I shall have a…bargain with him." He laughed his deep throaty laugh leaving the filthy creature shivering as he left the court. "What about my payment?" "Here." The advisor threw a few gold coins at the floor. "Now be gone with you." The pathetic creature looked at the court room one last time. As beautiful as it was, it was a brilliant contrast to its owner. The creature quietly left praying for Lady Yuna never to have to enter here as his queen…
"All hands on deck! Raise the mast Auron, we're heading towards Novy!" The tanned blond boy cut the rope and swung over to the steering wheel of the ship. "Wahoo!" he cried as he swept over the ship over his sleepy emerging crew. The boy landed on the deck with a plop, shook his spiky blond head and turned his laughing blue eyes towards his complaining crew. Wakka, his first mate and his best friend grumpily came out from his cabin. "Oye! Tidus mon why are we up so early today?"
"Haha…why Wakka? You ask why after more than five years of pirating?" Tidus glanced at the map to Novy and shouted a few more instructions to his crew. The crew quickly snapped out of their slumber and got right to work. A couple were astounded that after raiding an island near Dheb-la, their captain still had more energy left to sail and steal from another place. The men hauled the ropes and turned the mast against the east wind, where they were heading. High up near above the mast, Auron watched his best friend's boy work his wonders with the ship. I always knew the boy would be a great one. He indeed became great as well as feared all over Karanya.
Auron sadly shook his head. If only Jecht were to see him now. Tidus' father had disappeared ten years ago after he came back from the last battle with Sin. Even though, Tidus had never actually gained his father's approval, for he became a hard man after his wife died giving birth to Tidus. Auron had his suspicions as to what had happened to Tidus' father but never told Tidus in case it stopped his actions to prove himself great in the eyes of Karanya so he may be able to show his father one day. Auron went back to looking through his telescope in search of some signs of danger.
Wakka clambered over to Tidus. "But Tidus, we were supposed to go to the Monitillo Islands. Remember the beach, the Blitzball Game, the hammock —" "I know, I know but I have to go to Novy right now. That Oduagon Prince Seymour has a job for me and you know how much those royalties pay. Can you imagine all those riches? We may never have to steal again!" Tidus was set on the idea. Though he loved the action and adventure that pirating brought, he also felt bad raiding all those villages. To compensate, he always left behind a small sack of gold for each poor family but if his crew were to 'legally' do some work for a prince at that, maybe they won't ever have to raid a place again.
He could finally train with the professional Blitzball players and become one like his father was before he married his mother. Tidus could remember all those years in his homeland, D'nakranaz, where he used to practice with Auron when his father was away to Arips in their army. Every time his father came back, Tidus would show him what he learned, but as usual his father would say something like his Chiracoses could do better than that. (A/n Chiracoses are the Karanyan version of the Chocoboses…yeah… I know how cheap and uncreative ) However, little Tidus merely believed his words and simply tried harder.
When the annual time came for Jecht to return to D'nakranaz, (A/n I think that's Tidus' father's name…if not correct me) all Tidus received was a letter of apology for his 'disappearance' from the King of Arips who died a few months later leaving the daughter of the Necromancer as the ruler. Tidus wasn't old enough then to truly understand why his father never came back but he bore hatred towards the Arips and even though he was old enough to understand why his father never came back, he still had a grudge against them. This was one of the reasons why Arips was one of his favourite places to raid.
By two days they were on the shores of Novy. Tidus and his crew walked into the entrance of Seymour's grand castle, making a few people scream in fear. They met the guards at the door who were reluctant to let them in. The chief advisor and the calligrapher chose to host the crew at dinner. Extreme politeness and well trained mannerisms helped them to bear the rowdiness of the crew. After desserts, an announcer announced Prince Seymour.
As a prince is meant to do, Seymour entered with the all greatness and haughteur of a royal-blooded person, but it didn't help to stop the snickering and giggling from the crew when they looked at his hair. Even Auron was laughing along with them. Seymour growled and then forcedly put a smile on. "It's good to entertain such…well-administered guests in my home." A few more snickers and a few more giggles erupted out of no where. Seymour fumed his patience running.
"As you all might know by now that I invited you here for a job I have for you to do. So therefore, I shall be speaking to your captain," he inclined Tidus with a gesture of his hand. "About it privately in my study." "Why the privacy? What is there to hide?" Seymour glared at the large muscular man beside Tidus. Tidus seemed to agree with him. "I have to give him the job description and there's…something that only he might find interesting without the rest of you nosing in." "I don't care what he finds interesting, I'm still —"he stopped when Tidus clasped his shoulder. Tidus whispered, "It's okay, I'll see what he has to say. I'll be alright I promise." Wakka opened his mouth to say something but closed it. "Stay safe kid…"
Seymour smiled his satisfaction. The crew left to go sleep in the rooms available in the house. Tidus followed Seymour through the great marble halls, looking at the grand portraits of the Kings and Queens of Novy. When they went inside the study, Seymour went over to a table and poured some scotch on the glass and offered it to Tidus. He refused for he had no intention of regretting to say something because he was drunk.
"Now, Tidus is it? How long have you been pirating around with your crew?" Tidus narrowed his blue eyes trying to dissect Seymour's thoughts. "Around five years." Seymour gulped down some scotch and turned to face the young captain with widened eyes. "Impressive and you're already a captain." "Your highness, I would appreciate it if you would get down to business." He was losing his patience at every moment losing his liking for the man.
"Of course, I'm wasting your time after all you have places to raid, things to steal…questions to ask about your father." Seymour slid his eyes over to his study where he kept some information. "I want you to kidnap Lady Yuna of Arips and bring her to me." Tidus frowned. "Why?" "You wouldn't understand. Its best if you don't tread in our political matters." Tidus shook his head. "With all due respect your highness, we are merely pirates. We steal objects not people."
Seymour mixed soda water with some gin and began to stir. "We Oduagans believe women to be merely objects of affections and birth devices. And besides, I know from sources you're not very fond of Arips either are you?" His interrogation began to make its mark on the young boy's mind. "What do you mean?" "Oh, nothing my boy, just some tidbits here and there about how you are looking for your father."
"You know something about my father." Seymour had the boy's full interest now. "Why yes, information that may lead you straight into…" he snickered. "Into his welcoming arms." The boy's blue eyes widened. "Tell me." "Now, now I can't just give such a valuable piece of knowledge up like that now can I?" The Oduagan Prince had backed the D'nakranaz captain into a tight corner. Tidus thought and seemed to think that the Lady's life wouldn't be in any danger. After all, he was going to marry her, not kill her. Or so he thought.
"Done." Tidus held out his hand. Seymour glanced down at his gloved hand and tentatively shook it. "Pleasure doing business with you. Her ship leaves for Dheb-la in two weeks. I expect you to be there at less time then that. The money and the information will be given to you as soon as you hand her over to me." Seymour gulped down the last of his drink and nodded. He threw a pouch to Tidus, who caught it. "An advance payment." He said as the captain examined the precious. Tidus didn't sleep well that night.
When the crew of the Tiera heard about what they had to do, almost everyone was against it and the ones who didn't protest just stayed quiet like Auron and Wakka. However, Tidus yelled some commands and the crew agreed to indulge because after all, he was their captain and according to the pirate code of honour, you had to obey him unless everyone is against him. And so they set sail that morning with a grim mood to head towards Arips.
By late evening, they had reached almost halfway across to Arips. Wakka walked over to Tidus and leaned against the railing observing the dark purpling sky. "Tidus, I know your instincts are pretty good when it comes to raids after two years of captaining this ship after me and everything but I'm not so sure about this scheme. Prince Seymour has a reputation for being a conniving bastard and —" "He knows where my father is."
"What? He does? How? But —!" "All I know is that his highness Seymour happens to know something about my father." Tidus turned to face his friend's questioning gaze. "Wakka, I've searched all over Karanya for my father and no one, not one single person has ever heard of him, ever since Sin's defeat. And now, out of no where someone claims to know about him enough to bargain it for his gain… Wakka don't you see this might be my only chance to find my father. After all these years…I can finally show him what I've become," he grinned suddenly, "Plus there's always the cash bonus which lets us lead of a life of babes in bikinis at beaches!"
Wakka glared at his younger best friend. He gave a small punch and shook his head. Secretly he pitied the boy but just to comfort and show him his loyalty, he clapped Tidus' back. Quietly, he left Tidus to wonder if he had made the right choice for them all. Lady Yuna…nice name…
A/n As you may have noticed by now, most of the places in Karanya are places from the actual game spelled backwards except for Novy where I didn't want to be too repetitive. As I'm sure you have noticed…I lack imagination in names. If you would like to ask questions or give me suggestions, please R/R. Thank you and tc and have lotsa fun! D
- Unawoken Dream