A/n: Finally finished writing this. Took long enough. But now I have to go and fix the next chapter (it WAS done) because I changed things around in this one from what I was going to do. It should be better then even before though. Anyway, you all know the drill, read and review and let me know! Gin

--

Sun shone down on her face from the window. Rikku tried to hide her face under her pillow to escape it until she remembered what had happened the day before. She had met Seymour Guado, and he seemed to enjoy her. She had to see him again. Getting out of bed, she made her way to get cleaned up. As the water in Yuna's basin filled, she made sure to add a bit of scented oil to the water. It wouldn't do to see that man again, and smell like day old sweat. Stripping out of her night clothes, she slid into the hot water.

It helped to calm her shaking nerves, as the heat relaxed her muscles. As she soaked, Rikku thought about what she would say next time she talked to Seymour. He seemed so high class, much higher then she ever dreamed of being. What could she possibly have to say that he wouldn't find boring? She scrubbed her hair next before the water got cold. Just as she lifted her head from the water a knock came at the door.

"Riana, you in there?" It was Yuna.

"Yeah, I am. I'll be out in a moment. Did you need something?" She answered back.

"Don't take too long. You have someone here who wanted to talk to you." Yuna replied back before Rikku heard her feet moving away.

Excited, Rikku finished washing the rest of her body before stepping out and wrapping a towel around her body. She could hear voices coming from the main room, but could not make out who they were. Her face turned red at her next thought. She had forgotten to bring fresh clothes in with her. She would have to walk out to where they were talking before going to her own room. She opened the door slightly and called out to her cousin. "Yunie?"

A laugh drifted through the crack before she answered. "What is it? Did you need something?"

"Could you come here please?" Rikku begged. She closed the door again and waited.

Yuna entered a moment later. "What is it?"

Rikku blushed and looked down at the floor as she tried to explain her predicament. The towel was held tight against her for fear of having it fall. "Um, I," She began in a whisper.

"What is it? Don't you have any clothes?" Yuna guessed correctly.

Rikku's face blushed a darker crimson then before. "Not really. I didn't expect anyone to be here when I got out." She confessed.

"It's ok. I'll get something for you. Give me a moment and I will be right back." Yuna took off again before Rikku could protest. She was back a moment later with a small bundle under her arm.

Rikku took them from her with a grateful smile. Now she wouldn't have to be embarrassed when she walked out to greet her guest. That thought was short lived when she finally figured out what it was Yuna had brought her. It was blue half skirt, one side going down the length of her left leg while the other side stopped short of her knee. A blue shirt that matched the skirt, it had three quartered sleeves taunt against her skin. The bottom of the top came a few inches above her navel. Auron would be appalled if he were to see her in this. At least the shoes were decent. They were ankle high black leather with black ties.

Feeling the heat rising in her face, Rikku stepped out of the wash room to confront her cousin and guest. She let out a soft gasp when she caught sight of who was here talking to Yuna. Seymour stood from his seat as he took in her form.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, my lady. You look simply lovely today." He greeted as he took her hand in his and gently kissed the back of it. Rikku hadn't known her face could get any hotter until now. Her feet froze to the ground under her.

She quickly diverted her gaze to the woman standing behind him with a knowing smile on her face.

"Are you not happy to see me as well?" Seymour's voice cut into her thoughts before they were able to run away with her.

"Oh, no, no. I mean, I'm very happy. I just wasn't expecting it." Rikku stuttered as she faced the lord once more.

He smiled at her uneasiness. "Do please relax. I am a mere man. You do not have to act formal around me." He reassured her.

Letting out a breath she did not know she was holding. Rikku attempted to calm down. "Why don't we take a walk around the island? There are still many places I have not seen. I think I would like to have someone with me to share them with." She suggested.

"I would like that Lady Riana." He answered as they hooked arms.

"Could you just call me Riana? I don't feel right being called lady."

Seymour smiled at her once again. "Of course. If it is what you desire."

Yuna watched as they left arm in arm. She said she would help Riana meet the man once again, and she did. They did make a cute couple, she noted. She thought about the man she liked to call her own now. His blue eyes and blond hair forever etched in her memory. Right now he was down by the sea practicing with Lulu's husband. They sure did like their blitzball. Knowing he would be busy right now, Yuna decided she would go over to the mage's house. Lulu would be a good conversationalist right about now.

--

The new couple wandered around the island unaware that they were being followed. A figure hid in the shrubs and trees along the path watching them. Rikku and Seymour stopped around mid-day for lunch, and the figure watched as they gathered some fruit around them. The figure did not like this Seymour and did not trust him at all. Rikku was young and naive, easy to be taken advantage of. Though for now, the leader of Guadosalam was doing nothing wrong.

Rikku giggled lightly as Seymour broke apart a mango and proceeded to feed her by his own hand. This was a new experience for her. No man had ever done anything like this before. For a moment she pictured Auron in Seymour's place. Quickly she shook that thought away.

"Something troubling you, my dear?" He asked after seeing the action.

Rikku smiled at him to show she was fine. "It's nothing. Sometimes my head likes to think of crazy situations."

"I understand. And what was it that it thought of this time?" He urged for her to tell him.

She squirmed in her seat next to him. What would he think if she were to tell him? It's not as if they were dating or anything, but would he think of her as being unfaithful? Yet, she didn't want to lie either.

The figure in the trees watched amazed. They had heard the question and could see the younger girl at a loss for what to do. This was good; it meant that her thoughts were not focused on the man next to her. They needed to help her out of the situation though. A condor swept past a few feet below where they were. Quickly using their weapon, they taunted the fiend to fly out to where the couple sat.

As Rikku tried to think of a way out of the mess she put herself into a fiend flew from the trees on their left. With a gasp, she leapt to her feet. "Look out!" She tried to warn.

Seymour saw the fiend as well and lifted a brow at the intruder. "Do not worry, dear. In fact think of this as a lesson."

"A lesson?" She asked as she scratched her cheek.

"You are learning the black arts, are you not?" He asked as he gracefully got to his feet.

Rikku nodded before dodging an attack from the condor.

"Now, what element is the condor weak to?" He moved closer to where she had stood.

"Fire?" She questioned hoping she was right. If she was, then it would be a great way to impress him.

"Correct. Now condors are not very strong, but you still need practice with your firas, so why don't we do that?" Seymour moved so he stood behind her and placed one hand on her shoulder as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "Concentrate, you can do this."

With a nod, Rikku lifted a hand above her head as she whispered the elemental word needed.

With a screech the fiend fell to the ground before fading away in a cloud of pyerflies.

"You did well, my dear, but why don't we head back to the village now? I'm sure your guardian is worried about you for being gone for so long."

"I doubt it, but I do agree it is time we head back. I told Yunie I would help her this afternoon." Rikku said.

"Very well. Shall we be off then?" Rikku smiled as she took the arm he offered her.

With a low growl the figure in the trees took off ahead of them determined to reach the village first.

--

Yuna was there to greet them as they entered the village. She waited until they parted before going up to her cousin. "So, did you two have a good time?" She questioned.

Rikku walked slightly ahead, pretending that it was no big deal. She even waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Oh you know. We just talked, ate, and fought a fiend. Nothing that would interest you."

"Riana!" Yuna scolded, but it still held a hint of playfulness.

Rikku turned with a big grin on her face. "Oh, Yunie, I had the most wonderful time!" She squealed with excitement. "How can I ever thank you?"

"You don't need to thank me. I was just returning the favor." Yuna responded softly.

"Well whatever. Thanks anyway, but we still have a hut to clean. Let's go. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get done." Rikku said as she grabbed Yuna's hand and pulled the healer along behind her.

Try as she might, Rikku could not concentrate on the task at hand. Yuna had asked her to sweep out the bedrooms and floor of the main room. Yet when ever Rikku found herself out of sight from her cousin, her mind would drift. She thought about how sweet Seymour was to her, but the odd thing was she would picture Auron's face instead of his. It unnerved the young girl. What would Seymour say if her were to find out? And why did that thought scare her?

She had only met the man the day before, but she could see something happening between them already. He was mysterious and intriguing, something her guardian was not. Living with the man for as long as she could remember; she had adopted his habits and small quirks for her own. Not that she had intended to, it was one of those things that seem to happen over time.

--

Tidus was the first to notice the unusual amount of time Rikku and Seymour spent together within the past two weeks. Yuna would mention that Rikku would come home after she was already in bed, and then be gone in the morning before she was up. He wanted to say something to her guardian, but found it hard to speak with the older man.

"Yuna, you have to say something to him. This isn't right."

"I can't do that!" She protested. "Riana is happy now. I don't want to take that away from her."

The couple sat on the docks overlooking the sea of Besaid. Tidus held Yuna's hand within his own as they talked. "Well somebody has to do something. You know the man better then me. He'd probably take his katana and chop my head off if I tried to say something."

Yuna laughed softly at the thought. "I don't think he would do that. Perhaps an arm or leg, but not your head." She teased.

"Hey, that's not funny." But his rebuttal lost its edge as he laughed too.

That was how Lulu found them moments later as she walked out on the dock. "I'm sorry to bother you two, but have either of you seen Riana?"

Yuna and Tidus stopped laughing as they thought the same thing. "She's not with you?" Yuna asked.

"No, and that worries me. She's late for her lesson again. I have Wakka helping me search, but so far we haven't had any luck." The black mage explained.

Tidus scratched the back of his head in thought. "You don't think she's… Yuna, you know what I'm talking about."

Lulu stared at him as if he had just grown a third head. Yuna glanced to her boyfriend and nodded in agreement.

She turned to Lulu and explained. "We were just talking about her. But neither of us is willing to talk to Auron about it. Tidus is worried because Riana has been spending so much time with Lord Seymour."

"I understand now. Very well. I will talk to Auron myself. I'll let you know how it goes." Lulu left them alone once again as the couple watched the waves wash over the sand.

--

She was spending too much time with the man. It unnerved him that someone of his rank would be so obsessed with an unknown. Then there was the thought of what would happen if Rikku's heritage came to light. Auron dreaded that almost as much as the time Seymour spent with her. It was time he spoke to the girl. He sighed as he thought about how she was going to react to this. It was not going to be pleasant.

A knock came from the outside of the hut just as he was about to begin his search. He lifted the flap to see Lulu standing there. "Yes?" He growled before she spoke.

"We must talk." She answered ignoring the tone he first used.

"Not now. I have to find Riana first." He said as he tried to make his way past her. He stopped short at her next statement.

"It is about Riana." Lulu held a breath as she saw his shoulders tense.

Auron turned slowly to face the mage. "Tell me what you know." He demanded in a low voice.

"Well, it's more of what I don't know. I have not seen her in the past week. She has not shown up for a single lesson." Lulu began, testing the words as she spoke.

"And you just now thought to tell me this?" Auron asked as his temper began to rise.

Lulu took a step back. Maybe she should have said something sooner. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew."

"Maybe I would if I had been told. If you will excuse me, I have to find her now." He attempted to control his anger, but some managed to slip through.

Lulu could only stand in place as she watched him storm off. Wakka came up a moment later after seeing the guardian walking away. "What was that about, ya?" He asked as he wrapped one arm around Lulu's waist.

"He's worried about Riana. It seems she has been spending an awful lot of time with Lord Seymour."

"So what's the big deal? He's going to be the new Potentate soon. Shouldn't Auron be happy, ya?" Wakka scratched his head as he pondered his question.

"It seems as if he's jealous. Think about it. Auron has been taking care of Riana ever since she was little. I assume he would have been the one to choose who she would marry some day. Perhaps during that time, he has developed feelings for her. And as such would be upset to see her with another."

"Man, you sure know a lot, don't you?"

"I have spent much time with Riana in the past three months. She has supplied me with much information. Through our lessons together our friendship has grown. She has become quite the mage, however if Lord Seymour has taken over I fear the outcome." She explained.

"What do you mean? I met the man myself; he seems like a nice guy."

Lulu closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again in reply. "Forget it. I'm not sure what I mean anymore. I think I need to lay down for a bit." She left the man next to her as she headed back to their hut.

Wakka stood in place confused. "Woman; I don't get them at all."

--

Auron headed in the direction Kimahri told him he had seen Rikku go. He suspected she would be hiding in the same place the Ronso found her when she ran away after the fight they had some time ago. As usual, he was right. He came upon the sand covered clearing in time to see Lord Seymour place one hand on Rikku's cheek as his lips came closer to her own.

His eye narrowed at the scene. "Riana!" He shouted in order to break them apart.

Rikku jumped back quickly at the intrusion. "Auron? What are you doing here?" She yelled back at him. He could see the anger radiating from the way she stood. He had no time to worry about that right now.

"Riana, home. Now." He left no room for argument.

"I don't think so, Auron. I'm not a little girl anymore." She stood her ground as she crossed her arms over her breast.

Seymour stood in place watching the exchange saying nothing. The girl had a strong will, while the one-eyed guardian… Wait, was that? Yes, he could see the burning of jealousy in his eye. He watched as the scene played out.

"We are not going to discuss this now. Go home, Riana." Auron warned again. He adjusted his sword over his shoulder to show he was willing to fight if it came to it.

Rikku was about to resist again until she felt the gentle push from behind. "Go now, little one. We will meet later." Seymour whispered. With a sad nod, she ran off.

Auron waited until he was sure she was gone before speaking again. "You are almost done here, are you not?"

"That is correct. I shall be going back to Bevelle the day after next. It will be a pity. I have grown close to that girl, but I can see how much you care for her as well."

"Just what are you implying?" Auron asked. Not that he didn't already know, it was a matter of hearing it for himself.

"Implying?" Seymour repeated. "My dear man, don't tell you me you are denying those feelings you hold for her inside." He laughed smugly.

"That is none of your concern!" Auron had enough. He brought his weapon from off his shoulder and swung vertically in an attempt to cleave the man in two. But Seymour knew it was coming and easily side stepped away.

"My my, what a temper. I'm afraid that might get you in trouble one day, Sir Auron. But don't you worry; after I am gone you can have the girl back. That is if she still wants you back." He laughed again before leaving the area.

--

Rikku had run the entire way to the village, so she was out of breath as she arrived. She pulled gulps of air in even as her lungs burned for more. She refused to cry, not over this.

She ran for her room at Yuna's and barricaded the door closed to prevent intrusions. Once she felt relatively safe, Rikku reached into a drawer and pulled out the sphere she had saved. It was the one she had recorded of him practicing on the beach. She was about to lift it above her head to smash it when her fingers slipped. In an attempt to catch it as it fell, she turned it on. Auron's figure began to play out in front of her.

Slowly she righted the sphere and watched. When it was over she sighed. Rikku didn't want to destroy it, it meant too much. Carefully she put it back in its spot and pulled out the small machina that sat next to it. The tune was still so foreign yet it always seemed to sooth her troubled mind.

Rikku relaxed and lay back on her bed. She closed her eyes as the sound of the machina drifted through the room in the darkness of the night. In her dreams, she saw pictures of fields, flowers, and little girls playing as men in red coats watched.