LOVE ME IF YOU DARE
by Strawberry On Cheesecake
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all of its succeeding sequels are patented by the ever-rockin' Square-soft/Square-Enix! I'm just a fan, but I'm lovin' it! ;)
CHAPTER THREE
"I'm reserving judgment about this." She laughed, a voice exuding the aura of a young socialite in her late twenties. Whether she was a friend or not, her intentions for now are unabashedly temporary—she wanted to be neutral.
Laguna was brimming with irritation. Crossing the small gap in between the arm chair and his desk, he frowned as realization about her unbiased behavior dawned over him. Leaning his hip on the table's edge, he replied scathingly to the phone, "You are supposed to be on my side at this."
"I don't think so, Dad."
"You are not even expected to think for an answer, Ellone! It's one of those 'intuition things' that you ladies call!"
"I'm not like your bird-brain bimbos, Dad. I happen to be capable of thinking, contrary to the public belief that I don't."
There's no way she's giving in today. Laguna gave the receiver a glare. Wrinkling his nose in frustration, he gave the subject one final try before falling pray to the urge to toss the telephone out of the window. "I didn't mean it that way, Elle. I just thought that as my daughter, and also a member of the opposite sex, you would have a more positive notion about my current dilemma compared to your brother!"
The mention of her younger brother appealed to her, and by Hyne…how ruthlessly amused she sounded now, "That is exactly why I'm postponing judgment—I have to say…My brother is the only sane being in this family!" There was a slight disruption, but seemingly, it was good insinuation enough that the talk's over. "I have to go now, Dad. The Countess of Caladbolg invited me to her summer estate for tea. I haven't seen her for ages—"
"Don't go saying that horrible—" Laguna tried to sound threatening, but was interrupted himself.
"So, tootles, Your Grace!" and was followed by an eerily resounding click. Kids…now that they think they know everything about life, they go about, walking all over you. Laguna narrowed his eyes, choosing to conjure such fact in a very untimely fashion. The idea irritated him even more, clenching his fists that his knuckles turned white before Kiros' disdainful eyes.
"So the Lady of Donna-Terra opposes his Grace and sides with her brother…Ahh…It's all coming back to me now." The dark skinned personal secretary stepped into the study through an opened door, a knowing smile tugging his lips, "What a strong sense of déjà vu, don't you think?"
Laguna wanted to argue about that, but he knew he couldn't, for what seems like always, Ellone had agreed upon everything her brother says or thinks. Not that Laguna questions his daughter's loyalty, but the motion just never fails to upset him. Dammit! What do they think he is? A freaking adolescent in an old man's body? A little boy who has no means of thinking for himself? Well, his son has always called him that, but he'd never taken it seriously. Their family was long known for being a little 'exaggerated' in various levels; maybe his son had gotten that particular gene.
Laguna waved to dismiss the topic, putting the phone back to its cradle. Rounding the large, rosewood table that was his desk, he settled down on his seat. "I need you to unscramble my schedule today, Kiros. If I'm not mistaken, the Leviathan would be arriving from Guadosalam anytime soon. I would very much appreciate if you'd deliberately save me from this quagmire that I've let myself into, just because I had this sudden impulse to tell my son a little bit more than I would have normally allowed myself."
Kiros said something about being paranoid, and that whatever his son does was only ordinary. Laguna would have attested that fact, only to be offset by the thought that his heir was anything but ordinary. Hyne. That kid actually hated being a member of this specific household whereas everybody would do anything just to step into any of the Loires' properties. As a matter of fact, that was his reason why he fled from prosperity, only to end up being a lowly technician for a mediocre town's local train station. Why would he do that, when he could have bought himself an entire airstrip in Guadosalam in where he could poke all the airships that he wants? His son was special that way; Laguna had always thought, opting not to choose the word 'weird' to define his unconventional behavior.
Kiros droned on the activities for that day, which ranged from boring meetings with his advisers to extremely boring meetings with his bankers. Laguna just had to shake his head helplessly with the kind of life he's been living for the past decades. As far as he knew, simple moments were rare, and that's what he'd been looking for. They just seemed to stop happening from the moment his wife died, a long twenty-eight years ago. His sweet, beautiful, Raine…
"Your Grace." Kiros flashed him a daunting look that reminded Laguna of his physics professor way back during his University days. It also made him realize that he'd drifted to his own abyss, leaving him to a monologue, "I know that Tuesdays frequently unsettle you, but please be reminded that your weekly devotion to Lion's Heart's needs is for the greater good of your successors."
"Lion's Heart can survive without me, and I know that you know that." Laguna crossed his arms like a stubborn child, even looking away haughtily like one. Kiros sagged in defeat.
"Fine. Do what you want. But don't blame me if the Marquis comes here with a maul in his hands while shouting bloody murder!" He intended to leave, but was much too wise to submit to that; he had responsibilities as Laguna's secretary, and that included hauling him out of that chair and away from his juvenile idiosyncrasies.
"Your Grace." Kiros sighed, finally resorting to a plea while carrying a leather-bound book in the crook of his arm. He walked in further to the center of the room, stopping approximately a yard away from the office desk, "I am aware of your present predicament, but you know, as much as I do, that unless your son hears about it, we cannot advance to concur about the next steps."
Obviously, Laguna knew that, his eyes growing distant, as if all the power in him had been relinquished in a snap of a finger. Quietly, he rested on his back, sighing as he accepted the fact that has been there all along.
"So much for being the freaking Duke of Lion's Heart…"
Kiros couldn't help but wordlessly agree with him, clucking his tongue sadly.
Hours flew like seconds ever since Julia's telegram ended up in her quivering hands. Rinoa couldn't exactly figure out why her mother turned out to be that impulsive; uncomfortably shifting her position, while the Almasies' carriage sprinted across the wide-stretch of dust that led to Sequoia—Guadosalam's boundary closest to Winhill. She was in an unstoppable state of daze, her thoughts in a gamut of dreadful emotions. In the end, Rinoa suddenly found out that she didn't know her mother that well, conversely to what she'd always thought.
"Meet me by the Magus Airstrip…" the final line of the note had said, offering as little information as it could. Somehow, it made Rinoa feel a little spurt of relief—probably her mother wasn't as reckless as she seems. By being reserved, she's implying that she has everything under control, if not, she was keeping it easy, while trying to figure out her best options. There, at that moment, Rinoa planned to step in, and help her make the right choices. Her mother cannot just remarry that simply! Who knows what sort of guy she'd chosen this time…
Raijin had insisted to change horses a good twenty miles before the boundary. Stepping out to have a little stretch, Rinoa was surprised to see that it was already night time, which the coach driver explained was all because of Guadosalam and Winhill's dissimilarities when it comes to time zones. Rinoa let herself be drawn to this conversation, gradually persuading the usually-distant driver to be more talkative around her; and he wasn't very hard to convince. A little while later, when the new horses were ready, Rinoa sat beside him in the front in hopes of lessening her worry through conversation. Raijin mostly did the talking, and he was fun and diverse, even discussing the current whatnots of the present Society.
"Guadosalam has changed a lot ever since it opened more routes towards the bigger cities of the South. Way before, during the Sorceress War, it was nothing but a piece of wasteland, used as camping ground by whatever army occupied the vicinity." Raijin looked over to Rinoa's direction, making sure that she followed everything that he was saying, "The refugees who stayed the longest were the Estharians—SeeDs under the leadership of Commander Oceanos."
"Oceanos? Commander Oceanos? Is he that same entity who became the first Knight closest to the Scepter and Crown?"
Raijin raised a brow, now fully convinced that they are at par. This coach driver loved discussing the grueling details of World History, especially when he's found a worthy mate, "Fancy that…the first Knight of the Emperor. It wasn't very hard for the Commander to find his way up to the ladder of the rich and famous either. Just a generation after, his son, Tempest, was married off to one of His Majesty's own nieces…thus a promotion to dukedom. That was easy, wasn't it?"
Rinoa was impressed, taking in the impromptu history class with more interest than she'd foreseen. Pressing a finger on her lip, she pondered loudly for Raijin to check her progress, "So Estharians have somehow influenced the course of Guadosalam's history through Commander Oceanos and his conquests…Is that also why their government system is somehow…alike?"
"Not necessarily alike, although they respect titles bestowed by their individual domains. You see, contrary to other countries, only Guadosalam and Esthar share that close–knit relationship which can be traced as far back as the Sorceress War. It is only but diplomatic to remain this way, not to mention, beneficial to both realms."
Raijin pointed north, where they both could see tall frames and small twinkling lights that one could only surmise as civilization. "Guadosalam is still a young city, and its potential cannot be unveiled without the help of one that is already prominent in that area. Esthar, on the other hand, is in constant need of tariff reductions, which in turn, Guadosalam could generously provide by allowing their shipments through their borders." He grinned, turning his attention back to the road, "Tax-free."
Rinoa nodded, already familiar with this. She remembered learning this much from the elder citizens of Winhill, and it was good to know that she was still attuned with the intricacies of present politics. Straightening up, a thought crossed her mind, making her furrow her eyebrows together, "Is that also why the Spiran culture found it hard to embed itself within Guadosalam's traditions? Why, from what I've read, there are more Hynean believers compared to Yevonites in there!"
"That, I could not attest, but remembering my last journey to Guadosalam with the Baron, I can say that Estharian fashion still dominated her streets." Raijin paused to direct the horses towards the right, preparing to trot down a tricky curve, "I'm still amazed on how Guadosalam could appease their Spiran authorities whereas it is evident that their ideals are basically influenced by Esthar. It is just but a wonder…one of life's mysteries, perhaps?"
Rinoa giggled at his tone, sounding like one of those radio announcers that earned their living by drawls so seductive, they draw attention from listeners. "Perhaps." She agreed ambiguously, lurching on, "That is such a big help, Mister Raijin. I haven't been outside Winhill, of course with the exception of Deling, and now I somehow know how to adapt with my stay in Guadosalam…even just for a short time."
"It's always good to know something new, Miss. It helps exercise the mind."
Rinoa was ready to agree to that, her eyes widening at the sight of Guadosalam as it grew nearer and more alive to her senses.
The Magus Airstrip, as per her mother's instructions, was situated in the far-west districts of Sequoia. It took another half an hour to reach the airport from the boundary, and Rinoa grew more and more wary as the time to finally meet her mother drew near. Julia's sudden wish to be remarried was not only a surprise, but also an unwitting blow inflicted on our heroine's feelings. Not to be selfish; however, it just pained her up to a certain degree. Rinoa couldn't help but feel like she was now unwanted—a responsibility that can now be discarded, since she was of rightful age to live on her own.
Rinoa blithely refused more of Raijin's goodwill, finding her own way inside the crowdy, foreign airfield, equipped with nothing but a modestly sized hand carry. She waved quickly before fear tramples upon her fortitude; briskly walking towards to what it seems was the lounging area. To her dismay, the archway led her to a huge lobby that was so populated, one cannot easily recognize another without stepping up on their toes. Rinoa, being a little short in the height department, obliged to confer on such 'unspoken prerequisite'. It was only after three angry curses and two foot-stepping when she finally decided to give up, collapsing on the nearest empty chair that appeared in her sight.
"DO NOT argue with ME, IRVINE!!!!" in her morbid haze of exhaustion, Rinoa found that hard to believe. She was sure she recognized that voice from somewhere, so she didn't look up until the screechy voice boomed even louder than before.
"YOU DO NOT CROSS ME—" Miss Tilmitt interrupted herself, surprising Rinoa who discovered that once again, the couple was seated directly in front of her. "YOU DO NOT OPPOSE ME! I MAKE THE RULES, AND YOU EXIST TO FOLLOW THEM!"
Rinoa saw her snap a silken fan close, her pouty little lips in a thin, impatient line. Irvine looked like he didn't want the situation to progress so badly, shaking his head while he pressed his Stetson low enough for its rim to cover his entire face. Rinoa didn't know why, but she felt bad for him…his ears must have been hurting so badly now.
"Rinoa?"
And just like that, color was drained from her face. Rinoa didn't have to turn around to know who it was, and instead, graciously took her time to glance away from the rows of chairs assembled in front of her. Knowing that the encounter was now a little pass overdue, she conceded to the inevitable; plastering an over-bright smile on her face.
"MOM!" Rinoa heard herself croak, but Julia thought differently. Her exclamation was seemingly a loud crescendo of bottled emotions for the mother, who interpreted the gesture as a means of longing after two years of being away from each others' grasps. So in turn to such a great display of affection, Julia tackled her with a fierce hug, squeezing the smaller woman into her arms like a life-size teddy bear.
"Oh HONEY…" Julia cooed, her lower lip trembling. Rinoa shut her eyes as she continued strangling her, letting the estranged mother embrace her as much as she wants. "My little girlie…Oh how are you, Honey?" When Rinoa didn't respond quickly, she tried showing more maternal concern, "You feel skinny, RIN! Haven't you been eating properly again? How many times do I have to tell you that every meal is important, and starving yourself isn't REALLY helping you lose weight?"
Rinoa tried answering that, but Julia was really engrossed with her tirade, "And by Hyne, sweet cakes, you don't need to lose more weight! The women in our family are naturally small-boned! You don't have to worry about being a whale after childbirth!!"
"Ugh, MOM?" Rinoa cleared her throat, confused by the way their conversation was turning out. Julia was now expounding the details of proper dieting, which, she explained, was primarily rooted by discipline, exercise, good food and MORE discipline. Our heroine stared at her blankly.
"It is indeed in our family history—" Julia suddenly stopped herself, throwing Rinoa a skeptical look when her daughter began eyeing something—or in this case, somebody—in a very critical, un-Rinoa like manner. Turning around curiously, her absorbed demeanor towards the art of dieting fizzled, rapidly remembering about the tall, dark haired, young man who'd been with her for quite sometime now.
"Oh Dear…" Julia said under her breath, turning sheepish all of a sudden. Rinoa made a mistake by putting two and two together, her eyes widening like saucers as she concluded that this young man was, in ACTUALITY, her mother's 'betrothed'…
'CRADLE SNATCHER' was distinctly written on her accusing face.
"It's not like that, Rinny—"
"MOM—" Rinoa managed to blurt out, clamping her mouth shut in fear of losing control over the normally 'voluntary' organ. She shook vehemently, annoyance and ire quickly finding their way up to her chest, threatening to make a rare commotion. Julia began saying something in a hurry, but Rinoa was so clouded by her emotions that they seemed to sound so much like 'blah-blah, blah, blah, blah, blah' to her. The handsome young man however, no matter how incredulously misjudged he was, seemed impervious to her intensive glaring. He didn't even look away when Rinoa threw him her most piercing look, which sometimes, even Seifer couldn't handle. He merely squared his shoulders, appearing to be very amused, even.
And Rinoa was left seething. How could her mother do this? This man was like, five years her senior, or possibly less! Judging by his pony-tailed hair, polished features, pierced ear, and jeering wine-colored eyes, it was almost unfathomable that he was born to a veteran of the Sorceress War! He might as well have been borne to her own mother!
Julia gulped a whole lot as she witness Rinoa's temper in motion. If only she wasn't too damned scary, Julia would have approved her politeness towards Vincent, no matter how grudgingly she sounded when she excused them both for a more secluded location for an eventually heated encounter. She would have also reprimanded Rinoa for discourteously yanking her away, towards that much needed space. But anyway, she didn't, because yes, you got that right, she was too damned frightening.
"I cannot believe this—" they haven't even reached a quarter towards their destination when Rinoa whirled around, making her mother bump into her during the process. She pointed a condemning finger to Julia's direction; mad, hurt and in the brink of insanity, "When you said that you're going to remarry, I thought you've found yourself a man capable of treasuring you, of taking care of you, of protecting you!! I never thought in my wildest dreams that you'd get yourself another…another…" Rinoa thought of her father, and a description that well-suited him, "another pretty-faced nuisance!"
Julia snapped her brows together, agape and somehow embarrassed. Rinoa saw that even amidst her discomfort, she wanted to reason against her theory, but Rinoa wouldn't let her.
She didn't let her.
Rinoa repeatedly jabbed a finger at her mother's direction, "Was that so hard to accomplish—to choose a man, instead of a boy to take care of? Haven't you learned from Caraway's desertion, which he'd most likely be imitating after he's grown tired of our lifestyle?!"
"Are you ready for that same hurt, that same suffering and self-reproach?" When Julia didn't say anything, Rinoa's chest collapsed alongside with spasms so tremendous it brought unexpected tears to burn her eyes, "Because I'm not!" She was clearly fighting back, but was obviously losing, "I'm not! And I swear to Hyne if you so much still want to marry that guy I will…I will…"
"I WILL DISOWN YOU!"
Julia was startled for a moment, but when she saw the pain in her daughter's eyes, she began to realize—it wasn't about resentment, it was about outmost, raw concern. Rinoa has been her stronghold all these years, and what a partner she'd been. In a very young age, she'd learn how to be strong, independent, for there's gotta be somebody bold enough between the two of them. She had always been the one looking after the two of them that Julia felt comfortable, so used to the delegation that she overlooked the fact that she was the child…and her own self, the mother. Looking at her now, Julia's heart felt like it would break…
…all those years…she's been absorbing all those hurt that should have been hers…
…all those years…she's been flashing a smile to hide the pain that came because of Julia's own mistakes…
…all those years…NO MORE…she was now setting a limit, because she was only human, and there's only so much that she could take…
"My Baby…" Julia covered her mouth with both hands as tears pooled her own eyes. Rinoa would never know how sorry she felt, for inflicting so much tragedy in her life whereas she should've grown a happy child, with bubbles, sugar and confetti in each and every passing day. Opening her arms, she wanted to dispel that protective shield around her, that same shield that she's grown to summon to protect, not only herself, but mostly her mother. Her young mother, who was still a child when she had her and the misfortunes that having her entailed…
"I SWEAR!" Rinoa, unaware of the direction her mother's thoughts were heading, thrived to choke back her sob. She stepped back, away from her mother's embrace. She didn't want to be pacified—she wanted an absolute answer; a decision, and not a momentary respite from the controversy at hand. "You cannot marry that man! He's much too worldly, not to mention young! Hyne-forbid that he's exactly my AGE!"
Julia ignored her evasion, enveloping her arms around the quaking shoulders. Mindlessly, she revealed, "He is your age."
"I KNEW IT! I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on him! Mom? How could you do this? How can you not see that this marriage is doomed from the beginning?"
"There is no marriage." Julia replied flatly, but Rinoa wasn't about to be fooled easily. She needed proof, strong evidence that this was not just an attempt to soothe her.
"NO MARRIAGE? Mom, please stop doing that! Stop prevaricating because it's driving me crazy!" Rinoa squeezed her eyes shut, as if the notion made her head spin, just to open them again and realize that her mother wasn't kidding, or prevaricating for this matter, "No marriage?"
Julia nodded solemnly, repeating after her simply, "No marriage."
"Why?" Rinoa looked at her closely, doubting the possibility that she'd successfully made her change her mind.
"Because," Julia gestured at Vincent Valentine's direction, urging him to come a little closer, "He's gonna be the one to take us Esthar where I'd meet my fiancé."
Flying to Esthar didn't seem to lessen Rinoa's dampened mood.
Although the worse had passed and she was now sitting across from her Mom, Rinoa could still feel her instincts scream with undiluted panic. Maybe it has something to do with the private plane that they're traveling with, coupled with the idea that it was owned by her mother's mysterious fiancé, whom she kept pertaining to as 'His Grace' and no other. With the little that she understood of Esthar's upper circle, Rinoa was shocked to realize that 'His Grace' or 'Your Grace' was only used to call noblemen of really high-stature, normally of a rank lower than the Emperor himself. You could only imagine the look on Rinoa's face when it finally settled into her that her own mother, child-like Julia Heartilly, had gotten herself a duke, and what's more astonishing was that, he wasn't just any other duke, but the infamous Duke of Lion's Heart—the current bearer of the Emperor's favor. The notion almost relieved Rinoa of all worries about her Mom's security; but it didn't. Somehow…it even frightened her.
Rinoa was still absorbed with her own thoughts when Julia looked away from her window. She played with the 24-carat diamond engagement band on her ring finger, frowning as she tried assessing Rinoa's mindset. Deep inside her, she knew that her daughter did not object her remarrying. She was just being cautious; being certain that her mother would be truly happy with the course that she'd chosen to take her life to. Julia was never a good judge of character—a single charming smile was all it takes for a guy to win her heart—and this, Rinoa was in constant fear of. Just look at her father…a god to the ladies during his days, but was a spineless, amoral monster inside. Rinoa always thought that they were better off without him; he would surely just make their life even more impoverished as it is—Tomaj, the barkeep, once told her that Sir Caraway used to drink a little more than what's good for him—and that just adds up to the long list of why Rinoa truly hated the man. She abhorred drunken, sloppy males, especially when they leave pregnant wives behind…
"Rinny? What do you think about 'His Grace'?" Rinoa turned to her mother, who now looked at her earnestly. Rinoa came up with a confused expression, so Julia twitched her lips for a more direct implication of her feelings, "I…I really feel strongly for him, you see. I just want to know how you'd feel about him."
"I haven't seen him, Mom, or, more or less, know him up to a certain degree to uphold judgment. What I know about him are merely superficial things…I doubt that I'd be fair if I use them as my basis."
Julia nodded, but still prodded on, "I met him long before, even before he was a duke, and I, a married woman…" Her eyes grew wistful, like she was witnessing a fairytale in progress, "I played for an exclusive club in Balamb back then…very young—seventeen years old. I used to be really feisty and adventurous that sometimes I feel like I can overturn the world with just a wink of an eye."
"My talent with the piano made me such…but even so, I wasn't prepared for the emotions that I felt when I met him. It never crossed my mind that he was a nobleman…not even a knight." Julia giggled at this, appearing like a young, teenage girl, "Of course, I fell in love. He was always nice, always funny, and he has this attitude…a very uncanny attitude that would always make you feel superior to him; because of that, I felt comfortable and true when he's by my side. I could be anybody; I could say what I want. I was a free woman!"
"But as it turned out, it didn't work as planned. I met your father, and then I tried to forget about him." Rinoa quietly listened, generously giving a sympathetic smile. She bent her head sideways, giving the impression that she wanted to hear more, and Julia was more than obliged, "However…" she paused just to sigh, "Fate seemingly has a bigger plan for us. Two months after you've left for Deling, I accidentally met him in Rin the Al Bhed's bar. It was more than a chance encounter I'm sure! It can't be just a chance encounter!"
"But one of Destiny's games…" Rinoa offered, rewarded by a big smile afterwards. She let herself sink more comfortably on her seat, looking around at the fine décor that dominated her line of vision. "Funny how that happens…I hope it works out this time." She stifled a yawn, the stress of today's melee finally getting hold of her body.
Julia graciously agreed, standing up with an unfolded blanket in her hands, "Vincent said that we'd arrive in Azore tomorrow, early in the morning. We'd be able to get some rest until then. I haven't heard from Laguna just yet, so I think we could only hope to get his audience after we've arrived at his estate."
Rinoa bobbed her head groggily, savoring the feeling of her Mom wrapping a thick, comfy blanket over her shoulders. The mention of the name 'Laguna' made her think of Squall, smiling dreamily as she obediently drifted off to sleep.
I'll send him a telegram once I get the chance. Who knows? I might even get to meet his family, now that I'm going to Esthar!
Rinoa mentally filed that under her 'To-Do List'; for now, she needed sleep. She'd meet her soon to be stepfather tomorrow, and for that, she needed as much rest as possible—just in case he doesn't turn out to be what she'd expected.
Donna-Terra, an exotic white brick mansion nestled in the suburbs of Clanato, was one of Esthar's most celebrated estates. It was a gift of Emperor Raitwall to his beloved niece, Illumina, who married Tempest fon Loire, the eldest son of Commander Oceanos—hero of the Great Conquests. Through the years afterward, it accommodated daughters from the House of Loire, bestowing its ultimate ownership to the eldest female, altogether with the title of 'Countess'. For this generation, it was passed down to Ellone Alayah fon Loire, eldest child and daughter to the present Duke of Lion's Heart, Laguna fon Loire.
Undoubtedly, it was of no question that the interior would be outmost female. Color schemes basically ran among the shades of pink, yellow, lavender and peach. From the manicured lawns that surrounded the edifice to the inner sanctums of the mansion, you would notice delicate structures of clay goddesses, marble angels, glass flowers, and even crystal art pieces hand-picked from Bhujerba's finest. Elaborate fountains with fragrant blossoms transfixed the Northern Gardens with the fairytale aura, while the Southern borders were dominated by Duchess Illumina's favorite portion of the estate—the Labyrinths. It was indeed a clear demonstration of Raitwall's excessive fondness for this particular niece of his, who was the most successful debutante of her time.
The Marquis of Lion's Heart stepped off the chaise with such briskness that the estate's butler would never mistake his identity for any other. The twenty-five year old man was once again in his—as his sister would put it—'make believe attire': unkempt coat, torn trousers and scruffier boots. He strode directly towards the entrance doors so 'no-nonsensically' that Gringham just had to open them wide, in fear of the young man's capacity to tear it down into pieces. After a lofty greeting combined with an impatient survey of the empty foyer, the butler was pressed to escort his Mistress' brother towards the Southern Patio, where the Lady Elle was presently entertaining her guests. Gringham would have brought out the fact that the Countess was with her lady peers and the Mariquis' attire was a little too…inappropriate for them, but was gravely forestalled by the lad's obviously peaked temper. Gringham, who has been employed by the Loires for ten years now, knew better than to challenge his mood. He just went on with the task at hand instead.
"Isn't that the Lord-Marquis with Gringham, Elle?" Yuna Summerain, Countess of Caladbolg, lowered her Ming Dynasty tea-cup, vastly amused by the sight of Donna-Terra's uptight butler together with her best friend's even more uptight brother. Birds of the same feather really flock together, huh?
Ellone and two more ladies looked up to the floor to ceiling doors that opened, letting out two men of ridiculously big age gaps. One look at the dark-haired hellion with stormy grey eyes and the girls drooled, with the exception of Ellone and Yuna, of course. The Lady Elle was clearly distraught, snapping her fan close in response to both her brother's disheveled appearance and her companions' unrequited support towards it. Pushing her chair back, she urged Yuna and the ladies to carry on, promising that she'd return in no more than a couple of minutes.
Walking towards her brother, she silenced him with a sure raise of her lace-gloved palm.
"Sis—"
"Privately, Milord." Ellone extended her other arm, letting him lead the way, "My Drawing Room is most suitable." She turned to enter the house, but when motion seemed to have left the younger sibling, she clapped her hands twice, as if to catch his attention, "What are you waiting for? Chop-chop!"
The Countess Elle's Drawing Room was a wide expanse of art located a few steps away from the backyard. Her personal touches can be spotted everywhere, which might be a piece of painting, or a recent sculpture. All the furnishings inside was also her idea, so the Marquis wasn't shocked to see the place completely oozing with extravagance. 'Alayah' might have been Ellone's second name written on her birth certificate, but it might as well have been 'Megalomania', and she was never ashamed of that. She even tries so much to meet up with her limits, but being born a Loire, that was a task pretty much hard to achieve.
"What happened to you, Squall?" once the twin doors were shut, Ellone broke the unnerving tension, "You look terrible to the core! You've been acting that penniless peasant thing again!"
Squall blatantly ignored the complaint, and was fast enough to grab his pace, "I happen to be just in town and in time to overhear that Laguna is going to be remarried," he replied sarcastically, annoyance over the situation sprawled on his handsome features. But evidently that wasn't enough; he has been keeping too much rage inside for the past few days, "OF COURSE I traveled all the way down here because apparently, your Father is in the verge of donating a wagonload of money to his favorite charity once more—to the 'Helpless Society of Pleasure Givers'!"
"OH," Ellone wasn't unfazed, "so you've heard about it, hmmm?"
"Heard about it?!!" Squall was yelling now. He couldn't believe his sister's nonchalance about this. "NO! I didn't hear about it! He told me! The meandering little nerve actually had the gall to tell me!"
"Well then—good."
"Good?" Squall asked while she sat down, watching her fold herself up in a very dainty manner. Ellone was always prim, always confident, and at this kind of situation? To be unruffled whereas Laguna practically giving away their wealth was something to be reckoned with! The entire family, including their unborn descendants, was at stake in here!!
"Is that all you can say? How is that you can remain untouched by His Grace's impetuosity? Aren't you even, at least, interested about Donna-Terra's welfare?"
"Donna-Terra, I already own, by name and by paper, so there is nothing for me to fear about. However," Ellone looked at him speculatively, "you, on the other hand, are in grave trouble when Lion's Heart is involved."
Cautiously, Squall narrowed his eyes, "What are you implying?"
"So what if Dad told you that he's remarrying? Aren't you happy that he'd finally met someone who'd take care of him instead of you? You're supposed to be liking that…" Ellone trailed off, only to flash a five thousand megawatt smile that irritated the hell out of her brother, "or is it you've finally taken interest in our family's wealth?"
Squall exploded, "I don't give a damn about Laguna's freaking bank account, Ellone! Why can't you get a hang of that? What I'm worried about is yours, and the other accounts primarily funded by this stupid consolidated set-up that Kiros victoriously wheedled out from Laguna!" He started to pace around, thinking that it would lighten his mood, "You do realize that by him, having a second marriage, the entire account would be disrupted! The casualties would be enormous! And then what? It's up to me to pick the pieces again and set the things back into order!"
"That's what you do best, Squall. Aren't you proud that Dad is helping you sharpen your talents?"
"Are you serious?" Squall shot her a deadly glare. Ellone mentally did a lump-swallow, for she knew Squall so well to know that he thrives on his opponent's fears. "For your information dear Sister, I have a very promising life back up North and this little problem of Dad's is threatening to jeopardize my plan!" He saw Ellone grin curiously, but Squall instinctively knew that her wits were still scattered so completely, she'd have no heart to defeat him at this rate, "You do realize that Laguna is making a habit out of this, don't you? This isn't the first time he'd come out to say that he's remarrying…"
Ellone knew that, for a few years way back, Laguna had tried marrying a cello player from a local Balamb club. Now thinking of it, their Dad had an obvious yet inexplicable fetish—musicians performing in small town bars turn him on!
"But remember the ramifications of his half-hearted wishes! Do you remember what happened? He ran off from the altar and in turn, we had to suffer an avoidable scandal plus a handsomely figured compensation for that blood-sucker!" Squall crossed his arms together, unmistakably still pissed off by the memory, "That was all because of his impulsiveness, and now what? He wants to make another leap up to the stupidity scale!"
Ellone shook her head, "Squall, I do understand where you're coming from. I know that the notion can be disturbing, and with Dad being the object of concern, the possibilities of what's ought to happen are endless...Although, I believe, that as his children, we have the responsibility to cut him off some slack—why, from my last conversation with him, I really felt that he adores this woman! Won't it be doable to give the lady a chance to prove herself?"
Squall gritted his teeth, submitting to Ellone's gesture for him to sit down. The Countess picked up a silver bell resting on the side table, ringing it to alert Gringham from wherever portion of the estate he is.
"Laguna's betrothed isn't the only problem, Elle. You do know, as much as I do, that His Grace can be as stupid as a pig when it comes to—" there was a knock on the door, Gringham appearing with a beautiful lady fashionably dressed just like Ellone. One look at her, and Squall couldn't resist to cover his face with frustration.
"I don't remember teaching you to be disrespectful towards your elders, Milord." Edea Kramer, the late Duchess Raine's sister, stoned Squall with a poker face. Ellone stood up as the older woman instructed Gringham to serve them tea, sashaying inside the room to receive proper greetings from her niece and nephew. "And also, what is the use of your valet if you're caught wearing those rugs?" Ellone pressed her a kiss on the cheek, giving Squall a look that warned him not to say anything that he didn't entirely mean.
"My valet is in Lion's Heart, Milady. I haven't had the chance to pass by, for I thought that visiting my sister would give me an opportunity to groom myself firsthand, before meeting with La—the Duke." Squall corrected himself quickly, relieved when Edea didn't give any inclination to criticize his ways of pertaining to Laguna.
"Very well said." Edea picked up her satiny, mauve skirt, rounding the Alexandrian couch to have a seat. Ellone followed suit, and when she was settled beside their aunt, Squall dutifully took his position across the ladies.
"Speaking of Lion's Heart, my dears, I have received a message from your Father requesting my audience later this afternoon. As far as I can collect—" she paused meaningfully, Squall's outburst rewinding in her mind, "all of us here has already been informed about the Duke's intention to be wedded once more."
Ellone tilted her head to agree. Squall didn't have to say anything.
"I was told by Sir Kiros that today's agenda basically required the support of the entire family. Ellone would surely be involved without my urging, which brings me down to you." Edea lifted her eyes to the stubborn nephew, "Since you're already in Esthar, why don't you come with us and participate, Milord?"
Squall was far from interested, but he knew better than to flagrantly show that, "Participate on what, exactly, Lady Kramer?"
Edea clutched her hands together, eventually resorting to the task of removing her muslin hand gloves, "Your father's betrothed would be arriving this afternoon, and it is only cordial, not to mention courteous, for us to welcome her with grace." When Squall's face went livid, Edea realized that Laguna once again disobeyed him, and she yielded to have everything else out and open, "The Duke demands our presence before dinner, when he'll officially introduce the lady to us."
It was not a second after when Squall burst out of the room, ready for the kill.
Author's Notes
From now on, I'm going to start answering some questions at this portion of the page. Hiyaaaah!!!
(a) But first of all, thank you to all those people who've been reviewing my story. You guys are a great help, especially when I'm beginning to sound like a babbling machine in here! Thanks to Amy1993882002, c.ho.y and Idryll!!!
(b) To Ayettie—where did I get this idea? Well, to tell you, it's been a culmination of long, trite melodramas that I've been watching for the past decade! I'm no less than twenty; so, you could just tell how many hours per day I invest in either watching soaps (opera) or reading romance novels…hahahahaha….
(c) Lastly, keep the reviews coming people! I really appreciate your time! See you on the next chapter!
Mwahuuuuuuugzzzz!!!
Strawberry On Cheesecake