Title: Dear Lady Celi...
Author: DaystarsMom and Sayoko Bizen
Rating: PG
Characters: Everybody, pretty much
Summary: Part 3; now with actual plot! Lady C advises a foreign visitor on unexpected romance, a concerned soldier on how to deal with family tension and unwanted advances, and a dissatisfied customer on moving on.
Disclaimer: Good grief, it's fan fiction. Of course it's Not Ours.
Dear Lady Celi
by
Sayoko Bizen and DaystarsMom
Dear Lady Celi:
It's a pleasant surprise to see you in this light. Not that I thought you were an airhead; just that I didn't picture people running to you for advice. Sorry, that must have sounded insulting. I apologize, Highness. I'm writing because I have a problem and there's really no one I can turn to. I hope you can help me.
I'm here in Shin Makoku from a faraway land to visit my baby brother. He's still very young so at every opportunity, I take time off from my studies and my on-the-job training to watch over him. This time, though, he's been busy planning a trip, so I've been spending more time with other people here. And I met this woman.
Not only is she gorgeous, she's strong-willed and intelligent. She's something of a mover and shaker, likes to build things and speak her mind. I've never met anyone quite like her. I am refreshed by her unique fierceness, her individuality, and her grace. I'm compelled to watch her as she fights through every obstacle in her way – be it real or imaginary. Her spirit fans my own to a blaze. The fact that she likes the weird trinkets I brought and finds them as fascinating as I do doesn't hurt the attraction either.
Another piece of good news is that even though men are lining up to ask for her hand, she doesn't seem interested in them. The bad news is, she probably won't be interested in me either. Lady Celi, please give me advice on how to win this flower who best blooms in freedom.
Thank you kindly.
Next in Line
Dear Next-Cutie:
What a lovely tribute to True Love! I don't see how any woman could resist such noble sentiments! Of course, you will have to attract her attention in order to tell her your feelings, but with such a spirit I don't think that will be too much of a problem.
The first thing is to make yourself stand out from the crowd of her suitors. You have an advantage here – as an exotic foreigner, you can no doubt provide your lady with gifts no one else can duplicate. Do so! But more than that, listen to what she asks of others, particularly the things they are reluctant to do for her. If you volunteer for the difficult or unpleasant tasks that others refuse to do, you will surely make a good impression.
Good luck, and be sure to send me an invitation to the wedding!
Love and kisses,
Her Royal Foxiness, Lady Celi von Spitzweg
Dear Lady Celi:
Up to now, I thought I was pretty good at managing my life. I've dealt successfully with war, prejudice, family tensions, and a friend's jealous fiancé, among other things, and kept on smiling. But I've never faced anything quite like the situation I'm in now.
First, my best friend has been avoiding Blood Pledge Castle for the past week unless he's actually at work here. Yesterday, I found out that he's been spending all his spare time up at the Shinou Temple, but he wouldn't say what he's doing or why. I suspect that he's been talking with His Eminence, the Great Sage. This worries me; the last time those two started plotting together, it was over the whole Forbidden Box thing, and everyone knows how close that came to disaster! I don't want him to get himself hurt. His job is dangerous enough as it is. I also saw a certain inventor heading up that way; if she's involved, Shinou help us all!
Next, a former teacher of mine appears to have settled on me as an object of romantic interest! It all happened quite suddenly – he's been enamored of my godson (a charming young man) for some time, but about two weeks ago, he stopped all his protestations of undying love and began studying everyone else closely. Yesterday he appeared in my office without warning, made a little speech about maturity and True Love, and handed me a bouquet of flowers! Today there was a box of chocolates on my desk, along with an invitation to dinner written in impeccable lyric verse.
I'm a soldier, not really a flowers-and-chocolates kind of guy. I don't know how to respond to this onslaught, especially since my older brother (who is also my military superior) has made it clear that he heartily disapproves of all this frivolity during working hours. Also, while I don't have any tender feelings for this former teacher, I do respect him highly. I know that he is a very sensitive sort, and I don't want to hurt him unnecessarily.
As if all that weren't enough, my godson has made an unexpected decision to visit Caloria next week with his adopted daughter. I am to be included in the party as bodyguard and general responsible adult. This has thrown my former teacher into a fit of despondency over my impending absence, which he bemoans loudly at every opportunity. It has also infuriated my younger brother, who has strong feelings about both my godson and sea voyages. My older brother isn't any too pleased, either, though in his case it seems to be a combination of my former teacher's histrionics and my godson "skipping out of work again" that's bothering him. I'm disturbed by the increasing family tension, especially since my younger brother and I were only recently reconciled after years of estrangement. I don't want to go through that again.
What am I to do?
A Lil' Bit Bothered
Dear Bothered:
My goodness, you do have a complicated life!
I think you should give your former teacher a chance. When it comes to love, you never know – the most unlikely person can turn out to be your soul mate! A romantic dinner or two never hurt anyone, and it will give him something cheerful to think about besides your approaching departure. If you do decide to let him down gently, you can encourage him to look for someone else while you are away. Perhaps your younger brother would suit him? I'm sure that would decrease the family tension – there's nothing quite like a good romance to take one's mind off quarrelling with one's siblings!
As for your friend, are you quite sure he's avoiding Blood Pledge Castle? It sounds to me more as if he's found something – or rather, someone! – more attractive, up at the Temple! If I were you, I'd start thinking about wedding presents – I hear the Great Sage is fond of aprons. Just a hint.
Love and kisses,
Her Royal Foxiness, Lady Celi von Spitzweg
Dear Lady Celi;
I don't think there's any way to sugarcoat this... Your advice didn't work! My fiancé made it crystal clear that he hated the idea of me joining him in his activities even more than he hated the idea of joining me in mine. Now he is dead set on travelling the world without me.
I'm not blaming you at all... I'm blaming myself for all this. My engagement was kind of an arranged one and no one said anything about falling in love but I did. I really did. I'm just sorry he doesn't feel the same way and I thank you for attempting to help me. Now I realize my cause is hopeless and I will just have to carry on as best I can, the way I did before he came along. I'll be fine, I guess... there's still my job, my family, and my would-have-been daughter, although at the rate things are going, I'll probably have to do most of my parenting in print.
Things being what they are, I suppose I just have one question left. How did you manage to move on? For so long now I have lived and breathed to love my fiancé but now that he's given me all the signs that he wants none of it... well, you know.
Drowning in Love
Dear Drowning,
Normally, I would say that you would best avoid drowning by not jumping ship. But the highest form of love is to put your beloved's happiness before your own, and sometimes the only way to do that is to let him go.
The whole kingdom knows I have had three husbands and I loved them with all my heart, each in his own time. As much as I loved them though, in the end, my love could not keep them near me. I believe, and I will always tell people to believe, that love conquers, but not all things. It cannot conquer death, for one; and it cannot conquer an unwilling heart.
My dear one, there is no secret to moving on. It is something you will have to do for yourself. At the oddest moments you will feel the love, longing and loss rush back like a tidal wave and there will be nowhere to run. You will just have to stand still and let it wash over you, and then afterwards rejoice that you've lived long enough to feel so much, because the lone thing you can really count on is that you will live through much more.
Love, Kisses, and a big bearbee hug too,
Her Royal Foxiness, Lady Celi von Spitzweg