Chapter 15-Contempt for the Council
Seymour shared the news of Yuna's acceptance with Trommel so that he could announce it to the anxious waiting Guado ears in Guadosalam. Knowing that the messages for the day had been received he decided to check them in his office while he waited again for Lady Yuna to return. He walked in and turned on the ornate lamp which lit the dim room in a yellow glow. There before him was his desk, which had served his father and all of his forefathers in serving the people of Guadosalam. A neat pile of mail was stacked there for him bundled together; a duty Meena had done for him since his time as Maester. At the top of the stack was an envelope covered heavily in Yevonscript. Seymour recognized it immediately as from the council of Yevon.
With a snap of his long fingers Seymour broke the seal on the envelope, sending crumbling red pieces of wax to the floor silently. He examined the letter.
Maester Seymour Guado,
The council of Yevon has completed a budget for this year. Unfortunately it seems that we will have to increase the taxation on Guadosalam to double the normal amount you are used to paying to the council. This should be no problem for you considering the normal revenue you receive from pilgrims passing through and visitors to the farplane.
You and your people should be thankful for the opportunity to provide more for the glory of Yevon.
Sincerely,
Maester Wen Kinoc
Undersigned by Grand Maester Mica
Seymour felt a bout of rage well up inside him as he read the pompous note. He crumpled it tightly in his hands and dropped it to the floor before stepping on it as he walked away.
"Trommel!" he called out as he opened the door to his office.
"Eh-yes Maester Seymour." He said scuttling down the hallway to Seymour. "You know all of Guadosalam is rejoicing with the news of your engagement, the people are overwhelmed with joy at your coming union." He said happily.
"Uncle Trommel," Seymour said trying to calm himself of his rage. "Please I need you to send a message to the council of Yevon."
"Yes of course, is it urgent?" He said concerned. "Oh news of your engagement?" he asked.
"It is of the utmost urgency, please come in so that I may dictate it for you." Seymour said holding the door for Trommel.
Trommel hurried in and sat down at a separate writing desk, this was a task he had become accustomed to doing with Lord Jyscal during his time in the manor.
"First of all Trommel let me speak curtly with you, are you proud to be Guado?" Seymour asked him.
"Why of course!" Trommel said giving him a confused look for the strange question. "I have much pride, for being Guado and for the grandness of Guadosalam. So did your father, Lord Jyscal." He said holding a hand to his chest proudly.
"The council of Yevon sent a message to me today, they are asking for double their normal dues from us." Seymour said with his back to Trommel.
Trommel sat there for a second with his mouth agape. The feather pen fell out of his hand limply and he looked down.
"I…I…" he stammered. "Double? But they already have our taxes adjusted for the pilgrims that pass through…we have always paid a hefty sum…there must be a mistake Maester Seymour." He said reasoning.
"The letter is undersigned by Grand Maester Mica. Mistakes do not come from his desk." Seymour said lifelessly with his hands behind his back. "They believe I will give into their demands, but even my father Jyscal would not bow to this. Half-Guado, inexperience, youth, with all of these factors they believe I am weak and can be manipulated." Seymour let out a long laugh and his blue eyes flashed in the lamplight.
Trommel made a grim face as he heard what Seymour told him. "I knew of corruption in the council when Lord Jyscal was alive, I would've never have thought it had become this bad." Trommel said sighing to himself. "It makes me angry that they would disrespect you so Lord Seymour, as it is not just disrespect for you but for all of Guadosalam." Trommel said shaking his head.
"Let us send a note back to the council on the behalf of all Guado." Seymour said walking across the room with his hands behind his back. Trommel dipped his pen in the inkwell ready to write what Seymour dictated.
"Dear Maester Kinoc, It is most unfortunate that you ask Guadosalam for twice its dues this year, but I hope you do not find it too disappointing to relay to the council that we will only be sending our normal amount to you. I am well aware of the financial aspects of my people and I know that our taxes already reflect our extra revenue for the pilgrims that pass through. I am sorry for you that you are that mistaken and must have forgotten that obvious detail. If you require any assistance reviewing the council's budget please feel free to contact me so I can lend my help to you. Also please share the joyous news with the council that I am now engaged to be wed to Lady Yuna of Besaid. I will notify you of the time and place of the wedding. Sincerely, Maester Seymour Guado."
"I do not think such a defiant letter has ever come out of these halls to the council of Yevon." Trommel said speculatively as he finished writing. "I like it." Trommel said with a half smile as he folded the letter carefully. Trommel slid the note in an envelope and held a wax stick to a candle burning on the desk. The wax dripped in a red puddle to the middle of the envelope and Trommel pushed it to the edge of the desk to Seymour.
"We Guado are not pushovers—I intend to keep it that way, be I half-Guado or whole." He said pushing his ring into the wet wax and pulling it away to reveal the Guado insignia of a twisted tree trunk embedded into the wax.
"You are as much a Guado as your forefathers Lord Seymour." Trommel said standing up from the desk and bowing to Seymour. "I shall take this to be delivered immediately."
"Trommel…" Seymour said with his back to him as he was leaving.
"Yes Lord Seymour." Trommel said pausing at the doorway.
"I have contempt for Yevon." He said coldly as he stood before his desk.
"I know…" He said quietly looking down as he paused at the door. "So did your Father." He said before leaving down the hall with the message in hand.
Later, Lady Yuna and her Guardians made their way through the halls of Guadosalam. She had shared the news of her engagement with her Guardians and they remained supportive of her, even though some seemed disappointed at the news. Several happy Guado approached them every few steps of the way. They were eager to give well wishes to Yuna and brought gifts to her and her guardians.
"Oh uh, thanks." Tidus said as a tall Guado woman pushed a basket of bread and fruit into his arms eagerly.
"For you and the Lady. Guadosalam is joyous for you and Lord Seymour, Lady Yuna." She said smiling to them.
"Wow I never expected them to be so excited." Yuna said as the woman left.
"They are happy to have a second chance." A voice came from behind them. They turned to see Meena walking down the path towards them by herself carrying a basket.
"A second chance?" Tidus asked suspiciously. "What was Seymour married before or something?" he asked her.
Meena smiled at his child-like question and curiosity.
"No Sir Guardian. The last lady to sit next to a Lord in Guadosalam was driven away with the threat of death at her and her child's heels. The Guado have since realized the error of their ways and have felt much guilt for their actions since then, for they had even driven away their own prince."
"Maester Seymour and his Mother." Lulu said intuitively from the side with her arms folded.
Meena nodded to Lulu. In her mind she could see the ghostly figure of her sister, walking through the same halls, heckled everywhere she went and hiding her face, hated so much by the people she had adopted..
"Oh…" Tidus said in realization.
"The Guado crave their past Lady's forgiveness. And truly my sister would be glad to see how they have changed. Lady Yuna you have brought much happiness to my people, and the Guado will loyally serve you to the end." Meena said bowing to her.
"Wait but…you aren't really Guado." Tidus said curiously to Meena.
"Tidus!" Lulu said scolding him for his remark.
"Maybe not so much on the outside, but my husband's people are now my people. I have adopted their ways as my own." Meena explained to him patiently.
"I uh.. sorry. I understand now." Tidus apologized to her.
"No need to apologize, it is alright." Meena said smiling to him gently. Meena turned to Yuna and bowed to her. "My lady, it is not my place to say too much here, but I can tell you I have not ever seen Seymour this happy. I am thrilled myself, and honored to have you joining our family." Meena said as she dropped her basket to the ground and grabbed Yuna up into a warm hug.
Wakka gave an awkward gasp and Rikku giggled slightly.
"You are such a special woman, Yuna. I wish some circumstances could be different." She said with tears starting to form in her eyes.
"She cannot stop her pilgrimage." Sir Auron said from the back of the group. Meena shuddered with his cold reminder. She released Yuna and turned to him. She looked at him slowly and nodded turning her eyes to the floor to hide her pain.
"Yes, I know." She said lifting her eyes slightly to him. Meena squeezed her fist in frustration. It was so unfair she thought that Seymour should have so many close to him die. First he lost his Mother and then his Father, now he was going to lose his wife shortly after finding her. A trickle of a tear streamed down her face and surprised her.
"I…It wasn't always like this, Summoners didn't always have to die." Meena said still looking down to the floor. Quickly she grabbed her basket and ran off as her tears started to become unbearable. "I'm sorry." She whispered holding her face. Her footsteps echoed off into the distance as Yuna and her guardians watched her disappear down Guadosalam's winding paths.
Rikku turned to Auron angrily, "Why did you have to say that to her Auron? She knows what's going to happen, try to be more…compassionate!" She said scolding him. Auron stood and said nothing in response to her.
Tidus looked to Yuna in shock.
"What-what did she mean, she didn't mean that Yuna—Yuna is going to die!?" he cried out in disbelief. Tidus looked around at the group and they all averted their eyes from him. "And all this time…I…I was pushing forward, saying lets go on with the pilgrimage…Why didn't anybody tell me!?" He said shaking his head in shame. "Lulu how could you let her do this? Isn't she like a sister to you!?" he said stepping towards her accusingly.
"Yuna knew what would happen when she chose her path. I could not stop her." She said with shaded eyes looking downwards.
"Yuna—I—I'm so sorry!" he said in a broken tone as his eyes welled up with tears.
Tidus grunted in frustration and ran off down one of the paths and out of sight.
Auron turned to Rikku. "Go and get him, don't let him wander off." He said in his calm tone.
"Yuna you must go and take care of things with Maester Seymour, and you must be clear with him that you are not stopping your pilgrimage even with marriage." He said sternly to her.
Yuna nodded to him silently. She looked distraught at Tidus realization about Summoners and felt terrible for him and how he didn't know all this time.
Lulu put a hand on Yuna's shoulder.
"Go ahead, we will look after Tidus." She reassured her gently.
Yuna nodded and left to go once again to the Manor, her heart feeling heavy with grief for her guardian as she did so. Yuna was firm in her beliefs though, and stood strong that her sacrifice would mean life and happiness for all of Spira. And Spira depended on her to defeat Sin, so that peace and calm could once again inhibit people's minds, just as her Father Braska had done for Spira.
Authors Note: So that's chapter 15! Please rate/review for me, sometimes I am in a hurry writing these since I do not have a whole lot of time, but I'm always thinking about what to write next.