Seymour; Don't Follow Me (Part 2)
Title: Don’t Follow Me (Part 2 of 3)
Setting: FFX
Theme + Number: 37) Fascination, 47) Slow and Steady, 57)Naked
Character: Seymour
Pairings/Other Characters: Seymour/Shelinda
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual Content
Summary: Part 2 of ‘Don’t Follow Me’, Seymour and Shelinda meet at the inn near Macalania temple for the night and early morning.
Part 1
“Are you really going to marry Lady Yuna?”
Seymour paused, half-way through tying up his breeches and turned to look at Shelinda. She had pulled the sheets up to her collar as if to retain some bit of innocence he had not taken from her the night before. “Wherever did you hear otherwise?” he asked, not skipping a beat, nor feeling any shame in her question. Her eyes betrayed whatever passive look she was attempting to retain. The film of tears was already waiting in the wings.
“One of Lady Yuna’s guardians, he had mentioned that it was just some sort of rumor.” Shelinda shrugged and looked down at the cot, idly twining the sheet between her fingers. “I think it was the blond haired one. The others didn’t seem very happy with him saying it, but they really didn’t deny it.”
Seymour returned to his dressing. This little bit of news did not really surprise him in the least. He remembered quite well Sir Auron’s expression as they had left his manor in Guadosalam. The young maester expected to come against some friction with his idea, but he was prepared to do away with Sir Auron, Jecht’s bastard son, and the rest of the merry band of fiend fodder if they chose to stand in his way, or even if they didn’t. He would then have Yuna to himself and no one to turn her pretty little head away from him. A quick trip to Zanarkand would be in order and well, the rest would be history. It bothered him that he was getting ahead of himself, but on the edge of his crowning moment he could not help it. The sound of Shelinda shifting closer to him pulled him out of his thoughts.
”Are you in love with her?”
Was he? He wouldn’t call it love in the classical sense by any means. It was more-so being in love with what Yuna “was”. If Yuna were but a simple sword or tool he would be just as fascinated with it. Yuna just happened to be a lovely young girl, so it was easy for people to make assumptions. Yevon was in love with ceremony, anything to distract the common people from their woe. In fact, many priests would be surprised to know that very few movements were needed to really Send someone. A good percentage of the package was simply flash and colors. So if people wanted to believe that Yuna had fallen in love with the half-guado maester, so be it. He wasn’t about to argue with anyone on those rumors. Everyone loves a good drama. Why deny the people their pleasure? Explaining these feelings to Shelinda though, that was another matter. She had her moments of simple-mindedness.
“I would not say I am in love with her.” Seymour turned to face the girl once more, leaning close so he could see her eye-to-eye. “Not all marriages are about love Shelinda. You see, Yuna and I want to make Spira happy. She is a very powerful summoner and together she and I can defeat Sin. This is simply to show everyone that we are united in the cause. The people of Spira need something to be happy about. Their joy will give Yuna and me our strength, do you see? Don’t you agree?” He laid a hand upon her shoulder.
“Oh,” Shelinda blushed and lowered her head, “I think I understand. I guess Yevon really wants to make sure that everything is perfect this time.” She looked up at him hopefully.
“Yes, the Eternal Calm. I want to ensure that peace will finally be bought to Spira.” He reached out and brushed back a strand of her hair behind her ear and stood up. His body felt tight, having stayed at the inn so long. He reached out for his staff and began to twirl it very slowly as he stretched out.
He felt Shelinda’s eyes watching him with every step. Most persons would find such gazing to be bothersome, but looks from anyone had stopped bothering him long ago.
---
The trip had been hard on her. Even with the provisions Tromell had given her the Thunder Plains had been a nightmare. She vowed to never visit there again. The clouds of the desolate plains were not the only ominous things hanging over her head during this time. She had barely taken two steps away from Guadosalam when word of Seymour and Yuna’s wedding was to occur. The news had stunned her and her little dreams of becoming the Maester’s secret love left her as quickly as they had come.
Before she left she caught the young blond haired guardian by the arm to ask what had happened within the manor. He had just laughed and shrugged, saying the whole thing was just a rumor; Yuna had no intentions of marrying Seymour. Glancing at the rest of the party Shelinda could sense the tension between them at the young man saying such a thing. As they turned to leave, the red-headed one grabbed the other and told him he shouldn’t say such things, that it was bad for Yevon. Even Yuna had little to say and simply passed Shelinda by without even a glance, caught up in her own thoughts. Not really carrying the look of a happy bride-to-be.
Shelinda didn’t think it strange that Seymour had proposed. She wasn’t much to look at compared to Lady Yuna, who seemed to radiate light wherever she went. The young summoner had already amassed a total of seven guardians, an unheard of thing when it came to stories of other pilgrimages. It wasn’t hard to see how a man like Seymour would be suddenly attracted to the girl. Shelinda had even passed the party on her journey across the plains. It looked as though they had stopped for a short break, tending to the youngest of the guardians. Shelinda couldn’t help but feel a little lonely. She had no one to share the road with and doubts that anyone would be meeting her with a comforting smile at the end of her journey.
After a hard climb up the last hill, her eyes were surprised to spy a lone guado figure standing near the entrance to the Macalania woods. On closer inspection she was unsure whether the man could protect her from any fiends in the woods; he looked to be her grandfather’s age. It was only after he had successfully driven away a frightening looking fish-like fiend that her confidence in him was assured.
Shelinda did her best to strike up conversation whenever she could. They discussed the woods, what animals dwelled within it, how many types of butterflies they could spot, whatever came to mind. She could not help but bring up the issue of the marriage proposal. The guard had simply smiled happily and said that everything was to be carried out and all of Spira would take part. The conflicting answers were starting to get on her nerves. What was the real story?
As they finally broke free of the woods, the sudden, bitter cold shocked their senses. Shelinda had never noticed so many changes in the landscape around her before. From the barren Thunder Plains to the crystalline Macalania Woods things had changed in an instant. Now standing above the vast frozen lake she could only wonder in awe how such a large body of water could remain frozen. Out of everything bizarre in Spira, it was the newness of the scenery at every turn during her long journey that had frightened her the most.
The guard led her to the quaint inn overlooking the lake. She felt badly for the soldiers posted outside that seemed to stand valiantly despite the snow slapping into their sharp faces. It seemed there was little room in the inn for Seymour’s large entourage. The guard did not seem disturbed by the thought of having to pitch a tent outside for the night. Whatever Seymour bid them to do they were only happy to carry it out.
As she entered the inn she was greeted by Tromell and instructed to leave her belongings with him as she could go and visit Seymour when she wished. The Maester had been expecting her for sometime. Shelinda wondered if this meant that Seymour would be saying his apologies to her in misleading her and simply shoo her away afterward. The knot in her stomach tightened more at the realization that this could be it.
She stood at the door to his room for several moments, listening to see if she could detect what he was up to before she barged in on him. After many uncomfortable moments of silence she carefully tapped on the door.
“You may enter.”
Shelinda poked her head in slowly and saw Seymour sitting waist-deep in fur throws. A book was spread across his lap, looking like one of the all too familiar ancient tombs from before. A small table nearby held a tantalizing cup of steaming-something which she tried to pull her eyes away from in order to focus on greeting the Maester.
“It is an honor to see you again Maester Seymour. I hope you remained safe on your journey.” She gave a formal bow and kept her eyes on the floor. The slight joyous tremor in her voice betrayed the calm, unaffected exterior she wanted to maintain.
“As it is a pleasure to see you once again, Shelinda.”
She heard a rustling sound of the throws falling to the floor and as she looked up, she was immediately locked within his gaze. He lifted one of the furs and walked over to her, carefully draping it around her shoulders. “You’re shivering. Here, sit down over here and I’ll get you something warm to drink.” He ushered her to the chair which he had been sitting in and began to pour her a cup of the steaming drink she had spied before. “I was never partial to cold places myself. I suppose living near the sea for so many years causes one to acclimate themselves to tropical weather.”
Shelinda wanted to smile. She wanted to tell him how cold she was, but how pretty she thought the lake looked. She wanted to ask what he meant about living near the sea. It wasn’t in her though. The weariness of so much hard traveling had taken their toll upon her. The only thing she felt like doing was crying and asking him why he had been so mean in letting her think that he liked her better. She felt childish and stupid, much like when she tried to talk to the others during Operation Mi’hen. Did everyone just want to make fun of her? Lady Yuna got to have six people to talk to when she was upset, so even if one of them got mad at her she still had friends. Why couldn’t she have someone care about her feelings as well?
“You seem to cry quite a lot for someone your age. I really have not cried since I was a little boy. I suppose it is different for girls. My mother was a rather emotional person. From what I can remember of her, that is.” Seymour set the fresh mug of tea beside her on the small side table and continued to watch her curiously.
Shelinda seemed to ignore his words and continued to look down at the fur wrapped around her. “I thought Lady Yuna would be with you.”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“I just thought you both would be together.” She shrugged.
He tilted his head quizzically, wondering what the girl was getting at. “No. I am to assist her at the temple, but I do not expect her to arrive until tomorrow.”
“Didn’t she wish to join you on your way to the temple?”
Seymour sighed and scratched the side of his face. “Lady Yuna prefers the company of her guardians. It is quite understandable. The relationship between a summoner and their guardians is a very important factor in the success of defeating Sin.”
Shelinda looked up and noticed the Maester had turned away from her looking at the wall with a dark expression on his face. Perhaps Seymour also felt lonely, knowing that his so-called bride did not wish to travel with him. Certainly he would feel disappointment after trying to show Lady Yuna such kindness and support, to then be told to wait while she spent time traveling with her guardians instead of in his care. Shelinda cursed herself at being so cold towards him. Obviously the Maester was hurting as well.
“Oh, forgive me Maester Seymour!” Shelinda stood up shakily from her seat and stumbled towards him. She took hold of his arm and could feel her tears dampening the sleeve of his cloak now as she buried her face against it.
“Your travels must have taken a greater toll upon you than I first realized Shelinda.” He moved her back to the chair, unhooking her from him carefully. “And please, you may call me Seymour. I believe we have passed the time for formalities.”
She wiped her tears away quickly with the back of her hand. The sudden sense of fatigue hit her finally. Here she sat in the presence of a kind man who was waiting upon her and asking her needs and all she could think about is another woman who seemed to be out of the picture at the moment. Her heart felt grateful as Seymour eased the mug of hot tea into her hands and raised it to her lips for her. As she took a strong her hold on the cup and felt the warm liquid ease the chill deep within her, she felt Seymour remove her cap and lightly run his fingers through her hair. It was a soothing sensation and once again memories of the comfort of home came flooding back to her. How did he place this mysterious effect on her?
After a few moments Shelinda realized that the hour must be late and Seymour must obviously need to be left alone for the night. She began to sit up and his hand pressed her shoulder back against the chair. “I should go; you must be tired as well. You have to help Lady Yuna at the temple tomorrow, right?” She smiled softly up at him, being thankful for his care this evening.
“Please, put Lady Yuna from your mind. My arrangements tomorrow will be taken care of without any issue. Besides, where on earth do you plan on sleeping this evening?” Seymour’s smile broadened across his face as he leaned closer to her, his hands still pressing her to the chair.
“I thought I would try and find place in the inn. I guess if anything I could set up a tent outside if there is no room.”
Seymour lifted a hand to stroke the side of her face slowly. “Well I hate to disappoint you, but there is no space left in the inn and do not think that I would be so rude as to force a woman to make shelter in such barbaric conditions.” His smile widened greatly, showing a neat set of white teeth.
“Then where shall I-“ she began before coming to the sudden realization of his proposal. “Lord Seymour!” She started to stand up, but Seymour swiftly placed his hands back upon her shoulders and held her down. She blushed and turned her head away, embarrassed yet feeling that strange tingling within her.
“You don’t think I would ask you to join me if I didn’t really wish for your company , Shelinda?” He eased up on his grasp and began to stroke her hair once more.
Her mind began to reel faster than a charging shoopuff. Did he really mean what he said? What about Yuna? Yes, that was right, he told her to not worry about Yuna. Perhaps Yuna had said no to the marriage and Seymour had simply not told anyone. But wanting her this way? Wasn’t she supposed to remain chaste for Yevon? She knew it was not really an issue; many members of Yevon were married. She was an adult now and even before she had seen many of her friends, much younger than she, get married. Romance and the duty to allow Spira to live on was certainly something people thought about at an early age. One didn’t really live forever. There was always the shadow of Sin looming on the horizon. She looked up at him, searching his gaze for an answer. “Why me? I mean, I’m just an acolyte. I’m not that pretty compared to Lady Yuna and she is such a good summoner. She’s a much better person and I think maybe I just should leave I’m just being silly.” She stammered on before Seymour’s hand covered her mouth.
“Perhaps you should stop asking ‘why me’ and rather wondering, why not you? If I didn’t want you here Shelinda I wouldn’t have asked you to be here. You are beginning to annoy me with your obsession with Lady Yuna. You are a woman too, Shelinda. Or, do you already deny yourself of that as well? You have already proven to me that you are a strong person by surviving as long as you have, though I am beginning to wonder how since you seem to keep bringing up your many faults and shortcomings. Now, do you understand me?” He released his hand and pulled away from her. Raising a hand to his head he rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
The words had shocked her. She wasn’t used to a man behaving this way towards her. She was certainly not used to the attention and was someone who had accepted the fact that she was someone who remained in the background of things. Maybe she had been denying herself this moment for the fact that she assumed it would be a joke. She looked at the empty mug she held in her hands now. “I-I’ve never really, well,” she felt her face getting hot.
“Then I shall take care with you. I am always grateful for your honesty.” He took the mug from her hands and placed it on the table. Taking her by her hand he then stood her up and titled her face up to his. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before kissing her slowly upon the mouth. His hands began to work at her robes, inching them off little by little.
She felt her body shaking slightly from anticipation and worry. Her friends back home had told her of their sexual encounters before, how they were frantic, sweaty moments. Seymour seemed to take his time as if sensing her nervousness and gently placed his hands within her loose robes. His fingers ran along her bare flesh and she gasped softly. He pulled away and led her over to the small bed on the other side of the room, letting her sit on the edge as he began to remove his own robe and breeches. She swallowed hard at his slow revealing of the lines of his body, noticing how his robes and posture had betrayed the true tone of his body.
Feeling suddenly silly for sitting still she began to remove her robes as well. She may have not possessed the same beauty as Yuna, but she was still pretty in her own way. Seymour smiled at her in an assuring way as he sat beside her and motioned her to lay back. He leaned over her carefully as his hands ran along her frame, resting them finally upon her hips. He nudged her head back and began to kiss at her throat as he carefully set her legs apart and moved between them.
She could feel a knot growing in the pit of her stomach. Part of her wanted to stop him, delaying the inevitable first pains of love making, but it was for the best that she allowed him to continue. He was correct; she had denied herself the courage to really have what she wanted. If he truly wished to be with her this way, why not take this moment and enjoy it? There was no Lady Yuna here in this bed, only her.
As he eased himself into her she groaned and almost twisted away due to the pain. Seymour began to make a soft shushing noise against her throat and his hands steadied her hips. Her body tightened against his as her hands went to his shoulders, holding on to keep from resisting to the urge to pull away. He returned to kissing her along the neck, traveling up and along her jaw line to then fall back against her shoulder. They helped to calm her, yet her body remained slightly tense as he continued to carefully thrust within her.
She turned her head to look at him and noticed that his face did not bear a look of ecstasy, but one of almost sadness. He softly moaned and grunted every few moments, yet his mind seemed to be lost elsewhere. Shutting her eyes, she began to move with him and reach up to run her fingers through his hair, finding it surprising soft along the back of his neck.
He jerked against her finally and let out a deep breath as he buried his face within her thick hair. His breath was ragged. She found herself gasping for air as well, unsure of what to do next. Her hand lightly touched the side of his face and he did not brush it away. Instead, his arms moved to wrap around her slightly as he slid away from her and pulled her to rest against him.
While she still felt some soreness lingering within her, there was a feeling of warmth that seemed to move over her. She tucked her head under his chin. There was so much she wanted to say to him yet it was hard for her to find the words. As she began to drift off to sleep she wondered if there was some way she could convince him that she could help to defeat Sin. She understood that she did not posses the power, but surely there was another way to win. The thought of him dying now was almost too much for her to bear, no matter how much it meant to the rest of Spira that he make the sacrifice. For the first time in her life she wanted to be selfish, just this once.
---
“Is it safe? I mean, it is a machina.”
Seymour watched Shelinda worriedly check over the snowmobiles that would carry them to Macalaina temple. His guards had informed him earlier that morning that Yuna and her party had been seen not far from the inn. “They’re perfectly safe. It is the easiest way to reach the temple.” He nudged one with his boot to prove that it was sturdy.
“Are you sure Yevon is alright with this?”
“We want to make sure the summoners are able to make their pilgrimage without too many delays, correct?”
“Well, if you say it is alright.” Shelinda stepped close and smiled at him confidently.
Seymour returned the smile and looked over towards the dome of the temple. “Will you be following me to Bevelle?”
“I thought about going north. I wanted everyone to know about the wedding. I know you want it to be a success, but when it happens I’ll be there.” She turned to face the lake, admiring its simple beauty one last time.
“Then I trust I will see you then.” He reached out and touched her hair. “Shall we go?”
“I want to stay and look at the lake a little longer. I’ll be there shortly though.”
Seymour nodded and turned away from her. He had to go and prepare himself to wait in the Cloister of Trials for Lady Yuna. He could already feel the warmth of Sir Auron’s blood slipping through his fingers as he finally bashed the life out of the old guardian. He motioned for his guards to follow him as they mounted the machina and headed towards their destiny.
Shelinda stood perfectly still for a moment, making sure that Seymour was far from her. She slowly sank to her knees and allowed her tears to flow freely once more. She was not going north to announce the happy marriage, but to try and find out if there was another way to defeat Sin in order to save the man she cared for. She knew he would find her plan foolish, but she had to try. She had promised to follow him until the end, but there was a fear in the back of her mind that she would go so far as to follow him even past that point.
Setting: FFX
Theme + Number: 37) Fascination, 47) Slow and Steady, 57)Naked
Character: Seymour
Pairings/Other Characters: Seymour/Shelinda
Rating: R
Warnings: Sexual Content
Summary: Part 2 of ‘Don’t Follow Me’, Seymour and Shelinda meet at the inn near Macalania temple for the night and early morning.
Part 1
“Are you really going to marry Lady Yuna?”
Seymour paused, half-way through tying up his breeches and turned to look at Shelinda. She had pulled the sheets up to her collar as if to retain some bit of innocence he had not taken from her the night before. “Wherever did you hear otherwise?” he asked, not skipping a beat, nor feeling any shame in her question. Her eyes betrayed whatever passive look she was attempting to retain. The film of tears was already waiting in the wings.
“One of Lady Yuna’s guardians, he had mentioned that it was just some sort of rumor.” Shelinda shrugged and looked down at the cot, idly twining the sheet between her fingers. “I think it was the blond haired one. The others didn’t seem very happy with him saying it, but they really didn’t deny it.”
Seymour returned to his dressing. This little bit of news did not really surprise him in the least. He remembered quite well Sir Auron’s expression as they had left his manor in Guadosalam. The young maester expected to come against some friction with his idea, but he was prepared to do away with Sir Auron, Jecht’s bastard son, and the rest of the merry band of fiend fodder if they chose to stand in his way, or even if they didn’t. He would then have Yuna to himself and no one to turn her pretty little head away from him. A quick trip to Zanarkand would be in order and well, the rest would be history. It bothered him that he was getting ahead of himself, but on the edge of his crowning moment he could not help it. The sound of Shelinda shifting closer to him pulled him out of his thoughts.
”Are you in love with her?”
Was he? He wouldn’t call it love in the classical sense by any means. It was more-so being in love with what Yuna “was”. If Yuna were but a simple sword or tool he would be just as fascinated with it. Yuna just happened to be a lovely young girl, so it was easy for people to make assumptions. Yevon was in love with ceremony, anything to distract the common people from their woe. In fact, many priests would be surprised to know that very few movements were needed to really Send someone. A good percentage of the package was simply flash and colors. So if people wanted to believe that Yuna had fallen in love with the half-guado maester, so be it. He wasn’t about to argue with anyone on those rumors. Everyone loves a good drama. Why deny the people their pleasure? Explaining these feelings to Shelinda though, that was another matter. She had her moments of simple-mindedness.
“I would not say I am in love with her.” Seymour turned to face the girl once more, leaning close so he could see her eye-to-eye. “Not all marriages are about love Shelinda. You see, Yuna and I want to make Spira happy. She is a very powerful summoner and together she and I can defeat Sin. This is simply to show everyone that we are united in the cause. The people of Spira need something to be happy about. Their joy will give Yuna and me our strength, do you see? Don’t you agree?” He laid a hand upon her shoulder.
“Oh,” Shelinda blushed and lowered her head, “I think I understand. I guess Yevon really wants to make sure that everything is perfect this time.” She looked up at him hopefully.
“Yes, the Eternal Calm. I want to ensure that peace will finally be bought to Spira.” He reached out and brushed back a strand of her hair behind her ear and stood up. His body felt tight, having stayed at the inn so long. He reached out for his staff and began to twirl it very slowly as he stretched out.
He felt Shelinda’s eyes watching him with every step. Most persons would find such gazing to be bothersome, but looks from anyone had stopped bothering him long ago.
---
The trip had been hard on her. Even with the provisions Tromell had given her the Thunder Plains had been a nightmare. She vowed to never visit there again. The clouds of the desolate plains were not the only ominous things hanging over her head during this time. She had barely taken two steps away from Guadosalam when word of Seymour and Yuna’s wedding was to occur. The news had stunned her and her little dreams of becoming the Maester’s secret love left her as quickly as they had come.
Before she left she caught the young blond haired guardian by the arm to ask what had happened within the manor. He had just laughed and shrugged, saying the whole thing was just a rumor; Yuna had no intentions of marrying Seymour. Glancing at the rest of the party Shelinda could sense the tension between them at the young man saying such a thing. As they turned to leave, the red-headed one grabbed the other and told him he shouldn’t say such things, that it was bad for Yevon. Even Yuna had little to say and simply passed Shelinda by without even a glance, caught up in her own thoughts. Not really carrying the look of a happy bride-to-be.
Shelinda didn’t think it strange that Seymour had proposed. She wasn’t much to look at compared to Lady Yuna, who seemed to radiate light wherever she went. The young summoner had already amassed a total of seven guardians, an unheard of thing when it came to stories of other pilgrimages. It wasn’t hard to see how a man like Seymour would be suddenly attracted to the girl. Shelinda had even passed the party on her journey across the plains. It looked as though they had stopped for a short break, tending to the youngest of the guardians. Shelinda couldn’t help but feel a little lonely. She had no one to share the road with and doubts that anyone would be meeting her with a comforting smile at the end of her journey.
After a hard climb up the last hill, her eyes were surprised to spy a lone guado figure standing near the entrance to the Macalania woods. On closer inspection she was unsure whether the man could protect her from any fiends in the woods; he looked to be her grandfather’s age. It was only after he had successfully driven away a frightening looking fish-like fiend that her confidence in him was assured.
Shelinda did her best to strike up conversation whenever she could. They discussed the woods, what animals dwelled within it, how many types of butterflies they could spot, whatever came to mind. She could not help but bring up the issue of the marriage proposal. The guard had simply smiled happily and said that everything was to be carried out and all of Spira would take part. The conflicting answers were starting to get on her nerves. What was the real story?
As they finally broke free of the woods, the sudden, bitter cold shocked their senses. Shelinda had never noticed so many changes in the landscape around her before. From the barren Thunder Plains to the crystalline Macalania Woods things had changed in an instant. Now standing above the vast frozen lake she could only wonder in awe how such a large body of water could remain frozen. Out of everything bizarre in Spira, it was the newness of the scenery at every turn during her long journey that had frightened her the most.
The guard led her to the quaint inn overlooking the lake. She felt badly for the soldiers posted outside that seemed to stand valiantly despite the snow slapping into their sharp faces. It seemed there was little room in the inn for Seymour’s large entourage. The guard did not seem disturbed by the thought of having to pitch a tent outside for the night. Whatever Seymour bid them to do they were only happy to carry it out.
As she entered the inn she was greeted by Tromell and instructed to leave her belongings with him as she could go and visit Seymour when she wished. The Maester had been expecting her for sometime. Shelinda wondered if this meant that Seymour would be saying his apologies to her in misleading her and simply shoo her away afterward. The knot in her stomach tightened more at the realization that this could be it.
She stood at the door to his room for several moments, listening to see if she could detect what he was up to before she barged in on him. After many uncomfortable moments of silence she carefully tapped on the door.
“You may enter.”
Shelinda poked her head in slowly and saw Seymour sitting waist-deep in fur throws. A book was spread across his lap, looking like one of the all too familiar ancient tombs from before. A small table nearby held a tantalizing cup of steaming-something which she tried to pull her eyes away from in order to focus on greeting the Maester.
“It is an honor to see you again Maester Seymour. I hope you remained safe on your journey.” She gave a formal bow and kept her eyes on the floor. The slight joyous tremor in her voice betrayed the calm, unaffected exterior she wanted to maintain.
“As it is a pleasure to see you once again, Shelinda.”
She heard a rustling sound of the throws falling to the floor and as she looked up, she was immediately locked within his gaze. He lifted one of the furs and walked over to her, carefully draping it around her shoulders. “You’re shivering. Here, sit down over here and I’ll get you something warm to drink.” He ushered her to the chair which he had been sitting in and began to pour her a cup of the steaming drink she had spied before. “I was never partial to cold places myself. I suppose living near the sea for so many years causes one to acclimate themselves to tropical weather.”
Shelinda wanted to smile. She wanted to tell him how cold she was, but how pretty she thought the lake looked. She wanted to ask what he meant about living near the sea. It wasn’t in her though. The weariness of so much hard traveling had taken their toll upon her. The only thing she felt like doing was crying and asking him why he had been so mean in letting her think that he liked her better. She felt childish and stupid, much like when she tried to talk to the others during Operation Mi’hen. Did everyone just want to make fun of her? Lady Yuna got to have six people to talk to when she was upset, so even if one of them got mad at her she still had friends. Why couldn’t she have someone care about her feelings as well?
“You seem to cry quite a lot for someone your age. I really have not cried since I was a little boy. I suppose it is different for girls. My mother was a rather emotional person. From what I can remember of her, that is.” Seymour set the fresh mug of tea beside her on the small side table and continued to watch her curiously.
Shelinda seemed to ignore his words and continued to look down at the fur wrapped around her. “I thought Lady Yuna would be with you.”
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
“I just thought you both would be together.” She shrugged.
He tilted his head quizzically, wondering what the girl was getting at. “No. I am to assist her at the temple, but I do not expect her to arrive until tomorrow.”
“Didn’t she wish to join you on your way to the temple?”
Seymour sighed and scratched the side of his face. “Lady Yuna prefers the company of her guardians. It is quite understandable. The relationship between a summoner and their guardians is a very important factor in the success of defeating Sin.”
Shelinda looked up and noticed the Maester had turned away from her looking at the wall with a dark expression on his face. Perhaps Seymour also felt lonely, knowing that his so-called bride did not wish to travel with him. Certainly he would feel disappointment after trying to show Lady Yuna such kindness and support, to then be told to wait while she spent time traveling with her guardians instead of in his care. Shelinda cursed herself at being so cold towards him. Obviously the Maester was hurting as well.
“Oh, forgive me Maester Seymour!” Shelinda stood up shakily from her seat and stumbled towards him. She took hold of his arm and could feel her tears dampening the sleeve of his cloak now as she buried her face against it.
“Your travels must have taken a greater toll upon you than I first realized Shelinda.” He moved her back to the chair, unhooking her from him carefully. “And please, you may call me Seymour. I believe we have passed the time for formalities.”
She wiped her tears away quickly with the back of her hand. The sudden sense of fatigue hit her finally. Here she sat in the presence of a kind man who was waiting upon her and asking her needs and all she could think about is another woman who seemed to be out of the picture at the moment. Her heart felt grateful as Seymour eased the mug of hot tea into her hands and raised it to her lips for her. As she took a strong her hold on the cup and felt the warm liquid ease the chill deep within her, she felt Seymour remove her cap and lightly run his fingers through her hair. It was a soothing sensation and once again memories of the comfort of home came flooding back to her. How did he place this mysterious effect on her?
After a few moments Shelinda realized that the hour must be late and Seymour must obviously need to be left alone for the night. She began to sit up and his hand pressed her shoulder back against the chair. “I should go; you must be tired as well. You have to help Lady Yuna at the temple tomorrow, right?” She smiled softly up at him, being thankful for his care this evening.
“Please, put Lady Yuna from your mind. My arrangements tomorrow will be taken care of without any issue. Besides, where on earth do you plan on sleeping this evening?” Seymour’s smile broadened across his face as he leaned closer to her, his hands still pressing her to the chair.
“I thought I would try and find place in the inn. I guess if anything I could set up a tent outside if there is no room.”
Seymour lifted a hand to stroke the side of her face slowly. “Well I hate to disappoint you, but there is no space left in the inn and do not think that I would be so rude as to force a woman to make shelter in such barbaric conditions.” His smile widened greatly, showing a neat set of white teeth.
“Then where shall I-“ she began before coming to the sudden realization of his proposal. “Lord Seymour!” She started to stand up, but Seymour swiftly placed his hands back upon her shoulders and held her down. She blushed and turned her head away, embarrassed yet feeling that strange tingling within her.
“You don’t think I would ask you to join me if I didn’t really wish for your company , Shelinda?” He eased up on his grasp and began to stroke her hair once more.
Her mind began to reel faster than a charging shoopuff. Did he really mean what he said? What about Yuna? Yes, that was right, he told her to not worry about Yuna. Perhaps Yuna had said no to the marriage and Seymour had simply not told anyone. But wanting her this way? Wasn’t she supposed to remain chaste for Yevon? She knew it was not really an issue; many members of Yevon were married. She was an adult now and even before she had seen many of her friends, much younger than she, get married. Romance and the duty to allow Spira to live on was certainly something people thought about at an early age. One didn’t really live forever. There was always the shadow of Sin looming on the horizon. She looked up at him, searching his gaze for an answer. “Why me? I mean, I’m just an acolyte. I’m not that pretty compared to Lady Yuna and she is such a good summoner. She’s a much better person and I think maybe I just should leave I’m just being silly.” She stammered on before Seymour’s hand covered her mouth.
“Perhaps you should stop asking ‘why me’ and rather wondering, why not you? If I didn’t want you here Shelinda I wouldn’t have asked you to be here. You are beginning to annoy me with your obsession with Lady Yuna. You are a woman too, Shelinda. Or, do you already deny yourself of that as well? You have already proven to me that you are a strong person by surviving as long as you have, though I am beginning to wonder how since you seem to keep bringing up your many faults and shortcomings. Now, do you understand me?” He released his hand and pulled away from her. Raising a hand to his head he rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
The words had shocked her. She wasn’t used to a man behaving this way towards her. She was certainly not used to the attention and was someone who had accepted the fact that she was someone who remained in the background of things. Maybe she had been denying herself this moment for the fact that she assumed it would be a joke. She looked at the empty mug she held in her hands now. “I-I’ve never really, well,” she felt her face getting hot.
“Then I shall take care with you. I am always grateful for your honesty.” He took the mug from her hands and placed it on the table. Taking her by her hand he then stood her up and titled her face up to his. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before kissing her slowly upon the mouth. His hands began to work at her robes, inching them off little by little.
She felt her body shaking slightly from anticipation and worry. Her friends back home had told her of their sexual encounters before, how they were frantic, sweaty moments. Seymour seemed to take his time as if sensing her nervousness and gently placed his hands within her loose robes. His fingers ran along her bare flesh and she gasped softly. He pulled away and led her over to the small bed on the other side of the room, letting her sit on the edge as he began to remove his own robe and breeches. She swallowed hard at his slow revealing of the lines of his body, noticing how his robes and posture had betrayed the true tone of his body.
Feeling suddenly silly for sitting still she began to remove her robes as well. She may have not possessed the same beauty as Yuna, but she was still pretty in her own way. Seymour smiled at her in an assuring way as he sat beside her and motioned her to lay back. He leaned over her carefully as his hands ran along her frame, resting them finally upon her hips. He nudged her head back and began to kiss at her throat as he carefully set her legs apart and moved between them.
She could feel a knot growing in the pit of her stomach. Part of her wanted to stop him, delaying the inevitable first pains of love making, but it was for the best that she allowed him to continue. He was correct; she had denied herself the courage to really have what she wanted. If he truly wished to be with her this way, why not take this moment and enjoy it? There was no Lady Yuna here in this bed, only her.
As he eased himself into her she groaned and almost twisted away due to the pain. Seymour began to make a soft shushing noise against her throat and his hands steadied her hips. Her body tightened against his as her hands went to his shoulders, holding on to keep from resisting to the urge to pull away. He returned to kissing her along the neck, traveling up and along her jaw line to then fall back against her shoulder. They helped to calm her, yet her body remained slightly tense as he continued to carefully thrust within her.
She turned her head to look at him and noticed that his face did not bear a look of ecstasy, but one of almost sadness. He softly moaned and grunted every few moments, yet his mind seemed to be lost elsewhere. Shutting her eyes, she began to move with him and reach up to run her fingers through his hair, finding it surprising soft along the back of his neck.
He jerked against her finally and let out a deep breath as he buried his face within her thick hair. His breath was ragged. She found herself gasping for air as well, unsure of what to do next. Her hand lightly touched the side of his face and he did not brush it away. Instead, his arms moved to wrap around her slightly as he slid away from her and pulled her to rest against him.
While she still felt some soreness lingering within her, there was a feeling of warmth that seemed to move over her. She tucked her head under his chin. There was so much she wanted to say to him yet it was hard for her to find the words. As she began to drift off to sleep she wondered if there was some way she could convince him that she could help to defeat Sin. She understood that she did not posses the power, but surely there was another way to win. The thought of him dying now was almost too much for her to bear, no matter how much it meant to the rest of Spira that he make the sacrifice. For the first time in her life she wanted to be selfish, just this once.
---
“Is it safe? I mean, it is a machina.”
Seymour watched Shelinda worriedly check over the snowmobiles that would carry them to Macalaina temple. His guards had informed him earlier that morning that Yuna and her party had been seen not far from the inn. “They’re perfectly safe. It is the easiest way to reach the temple.” He nudged one with his boot to prove that it was sturdy.
“Are you sure Yevon is alright with this?”
“We want to make sure the summoners are able to make their pilgrimage without too many delays, correct?”
“Well, if you say it is alright.” Shelinda stepped close and smiled at him confidently.
Seymour returned the smile and looked over towards the dome of the temple. “Will you be following me to Bevelle?”
“I thought about going north. I wanted everyone to know about the wedding. I know you want it to be a success, but when it happens I’ll be there.” She turned to face the lake, admiring its simple beauty one last time.
“Then I trust I will see you then.” He reached out and touched her hair. “Shall we go?”
“I want to stay and look at the lake a little longer. I’ll be there shortly though.”
Seymour nodded and turned away from her. He had to go and prepare himself to wait in the Cloister of Trials for Lady Yuna. He could already feel the warmth of Sir Auron’s blood slipping through his fingers as he finally bashed the life out of the old guardian. He motioned for his guards to follow him as they mounted the machina and headed towards their destiny.
Shelinda stood perfectly still for a moment, making sure that Seymour was far from her. She slowly sank to her knees and allowed her tears to flow freely once more. She was not going north to announce the happy marriage, but to try and find out if there was another way to defeat Sin in order to save the man she cared for. She knew he would find her plan foolish, but she had to try. She had promised to follow him until the end, but there was a fear in the back of her mind that she would go so far as to follow him even past that point.