A Day in the Life--Part 2

by Themis 56

Themis56@aol.com

Ha Ha! There is no introduction! Well, fine, I’ll give you a clue: this is how Rosa becomes a White Wizard. That’s all you’re gonna get from me! Read and see what happens, but don’t expect any action, though. Can you people say ‘chick fic’?

Just so Square’s lawyers don’t sue the pants off me: Rosa, Cecil, and other related characters are property of Squaresoft. Aelia is my own creation, so I guess that makes her a copyright of me! Borrow if you life--I don’t know why--but remember to give credit! ENJOY!!--Themis

PART 2

Even though it was a perfect summer morning, neither hot nor cold, Rosa shivered. She was dolled up in her nicest dress, which wasn’t saying much: a long-sleeved gown made from satin that once had been a deep rose color, but now age and many washings had reduced it to a fainter hue. It wasn’t the most ideal thing to wear when seeing the King, but it was the best Rosa’s mother had been able to afford, and, although it was still a hair too large for the scrawny teenager, it looked pretty nice.

"Stop lagging back there, dearie! It’ll be sunset before we even reach the castle!" Aelia, who was walking at a brisk pace several feet ahead of her niece, called over her shoulder, a slightly impatient look on her face.

"Good! Then maybe they won’t let us in, and then I can just go home!" Rosa retorted, deliberately walking even slower.

"Ah, you’re impossible!" Aelia muttered, doubling back towards Rosa. When the two met, Aelia snatched up her niece’s arm and practically dragged her the rest of the route to Castle Baron.

**********

"Ho! Who goes there?" a guard standing in front of the castle’s main gates bellowed out, tilting his spear so that it barred Aelia and Rosa’s way. Suddenly, the guard’s eyes, the only part of his face not covered by his helmet, narrowed dangerously and he swore, "Oh, dear God, not you again!"

"What?! You boorish little twit! Who in Hades are you?" Aelia demanded, her face growing a bit red. The guard removed his helmet with a mocking, sweeping gesture, revealing the face of the man named Baigan. Rosa thought of walking up and giving him a hearty smack in the face, but she wisely decided against it.

"You?! Of all the people they could have had on guard duty today, and they pick you! Just my luck. Well, Brighteyes, why don’t you let us through? The farther I get away from you, the happier I’ll be." Aelia ordered, pushing to get around Baigan’s spear.

"What if I don’t feel like it?" Baigan demanded in a very malicious voice, thrusting Aelia back with his spear. Aelia’s face was so contorted with rage that Rosa was afraid that a bloody fracas would ensue, but, luckily for all concerned, Fortune decided to intervene.

A small shower of rusted bolts and lug-nuts suddenly descended upon Baigan, a small chorus of ping ping ping! resounding as the little metal pieces struck his armor.

"What the--!?" Baigan glared up at the source of his irritation. Aelia and Rosa glanced up as well, and Rosa could have fainted for sheer relief.

For there, grinning down upon them all from atop the portcullis, was Cid, an empty bucket dangling from his hands.

"Now, now, boys and girls, there’s no need ta get all riled up!" he laughed down at them, "Baigan, you little smartass, jes’ do yer damn duty and open up the frackin’ gates! Hello, Aelia! Gettin’ into trouble early today, I see. Why, hello, Rosie! You look like a picture today!"

"Yeah, but you never say a picture of what! You’re probably insulting me!" Rosa laughed, crinkling her eyes up at the Engineer.

"Nonsense! I’ve never insulted anyone in my entire life!" Cid barked, still grinning that enormous white grin. Rosa stuck her tongue out at him before following her aunt through the gates.

***********

"Say, Aelia, yer goin’ ta see the King?" Cid inquired, having caught up with the two ladies in the castle’s entry hall.

"No. I only hauled my lazy niece half a mile out of town just to see the pretty castle. Of course I am!" Aelia shot back gleefully, smoothing out her diplomat’s robe.

"Well, he ain’t in the throne room. He’s out on the main training field, watching the soldiers strut their stuff," Cid reported, gesturing with a large, grease-stained wooden hammer towards a door that led outside.

"Much obliged, Cid. See you around, all right? Say, I might come to your workshop after supper to see what crazy things you’re working on, okay?"-- although she wasn’t an expert at mechanics, Aelia was of a scientific bent, and she liked watching Cid tinker--"And get that stupid hammer away from me! It’s disgusting," Aelia wrinkled her nose at the smell of grease as she led Rosa to the door. The Engineer only laughed and surreptitiously wiped some grease off on Aelia’s robe as she passed by him.

***********

The large training fields of Castle Baron were packed with legions upon legions of soldiers, each division divided into meticulously straight rows of armed men, their armor winking and glittering under the morning sun. Although there were only three main classes of soldiers--the Knights, the Dragoons, and the Royal Guard--each class had several legions under its banner. The Knights, being the most exclusive and difficult of the three, had only five legions; the Royal Guard was the largest, containing eight, while the Dragoons consisted of seven. And today every single legion was on the training fields, assembled before the King of Baron.

As she followed her aunt onto the training fields, Rosa’s skin became clammy with sweat and an unpleasant sensation welled up in her stomach. Except when with her family, Rosa was a painfully shy girl; large crowds of strangers always made her nervous. She could barely force herself to go into the marketplace at the rush hour, let alone be seen in front of the nearly two thousand soldiers.

‘Maybe Aunt Aelia will go around instead of walking straight in front of them,’ Rosa silently comforted herself, swallowing hard as she stared at the back of her aunt, willing her to go around the backs of the soldiers to get to the dais on which the King sat.

No such luck for the hapless Rosa; Aelia was bent on taking the most direct route. The two made their way straight up to the dais, walking in front of all those peering, prying eyes. Rosa forced herself to look only at the back of Aunt Aelia, never turning her head to face the crowds of soldiers; however, she could feel their stares boring into the back of her skull. She took a deep breath and willed herself not to pass out.

After what seemed to Rosa to be a horribly agonizing eternity but in actuality was only a few minutes, they stopped before the King’s dais. Rosa, desperate for action, quickly bowed, rather awkwardly, too. She felt absurd: she was wearing a dress that was one size too large for her thin frame, her hair had spilled into her eyes as she bowed, and she knew that she was blushing and sweating as if there was no tomorrow. She flickered an envious glance over to her aunt, who coolly gave the King a salute instead of a bow.

King Odin’s broad, ruddy face broke into a smile when he saw who approached him; he leaned over to one of his main generals and commanded in his cheery, deep voice, "General, please stop the fight for a moment and give my poor boys a breather! State affairs. Besides, they’ve been killing themselves, fighting so hard out in this heat! They may resume when my business is concluded."

"HARVEY! HIGHWIND!! His Majesty has business to attend to! Lay down your arms and take a break! You’ll start again when he’s ready!" one of the generals thundered in a stentorian voice that resounded throughout the training fields. The scuffling sounds of fighting ceased at once as Rosa saw two youths lay down their arms and retreat to opposite sides of a marked out square drawn on the grass.

"So, Aelia Farrell! Back at last from Silveria! How did it go?" King Odin boomed down from his lofty seat.

"Excellent, Sir! But if I may be so bold...." Aelia began, stepping forward, but a single sharp, reproving glare from her monarch stopped her cold.

"Aelia, please. Not in front of the troops. At least pretend to have some shred of respect for my position in public," Odin murmured down at the tall, slender woman standing before him. Aelia’s face turned bright red, and her teeth clamped together so tightly that several small veins were visible on her jawbone; her eyes flashed angrily. Rosa felt her breath freeze in her chest as she glanced nervously about her; she did not relish the prospect of her aunt defying the King right in front of his own soldiers.

Aelia and King Odin locked glances for a long, horrible moment before the former slowly but surely sank down onto one knee, her flashing dark eyes never once looking away. Rosa couldn’t resist the urge to let out a sigh of relief. Disaster had been averted.

‘Why, oh why must she be so defiant? Father was never like that. Where did she get it from?’ Rosa groaned to herself, looking up heavenward.

Still, Rosa felt terrible for Aunt Aelia; her humiliation was so palpable that it could have been cut with a knife. And Rosa could tell by looking at her aunt’s face that the poor woman could barely restrain herself from crying.

"I apologize, my Lord," Aelia mumbled in a wavering voice, "I forgot that a monarch must always look his best, especially before his own army. Do forgive me. But, to resume. The negotiations in Silveria went extremely well. However, I have a suit to bring before you. After I put forth my proposition, then I shall tell you everything that occurred in Silveria. If I may...?"

"Of course. Rise, Aelia Farrell, and ask of me what you will. What would I not give to my head diplomat, my advisor, and my close friend? Speak!" Odin boomed aloud in a voice that echoed all throughout the training fields, waving his hand in an all-encompassing gesture as he descended the dais steps. When he reached Aelia, he gently helped her up on her feet and gave her two kisses, one on each cheek, the sign of royal favor.

"Sir, I have a niece, a girl of whom I am extremely fond. I wish to make her a part of the castle’s occupants..." Aelia motioned for Rosa to step forward. The teenager timorously did as she was ordered, silently moving with small steps; when she reached the King, she gave the most graceful curtsey she could muster.

" I am sorry...I do not recall..." the King stammered, losing quite a good amount of his regal composure as he stared with blank eyes at Rosa.

"Sir, this is Sir Gharri’s daughter," Aelia prompted helpfully, standing behind Rosa and clamping her hands down on the girl’s trembling shoulders. The King’s eyes went wide with recognition as Rosa stared down at the ground silently.

"Why, of course! Do forgive me, dear child! Yes, she does look like Gharri, doesn’t she? What is your name?" the King inquired gently, stepping forward and raising up Rosa’s chin to get a better look at her face.

"R-Rosa, Sire," Rosa stammered, going quite pale with nervousness; King Odin, seeing her discomfort, gently let go of her chin.

"And what is it you desire, my child?"

"I...I wish to be a..." Rosa took a deep breath and then burst out, "I want to be a White Wizard, Sire."

Odin’s brow furrowed slightly and he drew back, saying, "My dear, there are no posts available in the Order of White. All of the living quarters have been filled."

Rosa’s face collapsed along with her heart; she felt like crying, right in front of all the soldiers.

"Very well, Sir. But may I propose a solution?" Aelia stepped forward, placing her hands on Rosa’s shoulders and squeezing gently, "Are you sure there are no posts at all in the castle? She doesn’t have to live with the White Wizards, you know. She can be a cook, a handmaiden, anything! All I ask is that she have some form of training. Some is better than none. Besides, she has great potential! A little training can go a long way. Are you sure nothing can be arranged? Whenever there is a vacancy in a class, can’t she fill in? She will be useful. Furthermore," here her voice grew low, "I have never asked much for myself. My dear Odin, my friend, I have done you many favors and requested little in return. Now would be a good time to make it up. If you do this, I will not ask anything of you for a long time."

Odin looked from Aelia to Rosa, looking closely at both of them before his face relaxed slightly and he smiled.

"All right, Aelia, you win. The castle needs more maids to help keep the place tidy. Not the most glamorous job, but it’s one that is readily available. Well, Rosa?" Odin cocked an eyebrow at the girl. Rosa was so overwhelmed with relief and triumph that she couldn’t say one word. She just nodded.

"Well, that’s that, then! Come, Aelia, and you too, Rosa, and watch these men train. They’re doing quite well, and it’s entertaining to watch. General, give those two the word to resume," the King took both Farrells by the hand and led them up to sit next to him on the dais.

"Aelia, couldn’t you at least have come here with clean clothes?" the King sighed, staring at the grease stain on his advisor’s cloak. Both Aelia and Rosa glanced down at the smudge; Rosa began to giggle slightly, and Aelia smiled gamely.

"I swear, that man is going to be the death of me. I must remember to ‘accidentally’ break one of his precious inventions this evening," Aelia muttered, sitting down on a chair. Rosa took a seat right next to her aunt.

The duel resumed, and Rosa couldn’t help but notice the two youths fighting: one of them was a Dragoon, the other a Dark Knight, and since both of them had removed their helmets because of the heat, she could see their faces clearly.

The Dragoon she recognized as the one who had restrained Baigan from hurting Aunt Aelia in the forest. She did not know the Dark Knight’s name, but a faint sensation of recognition tugged at her mind, making her frown slightly. The youthful Knight had silver-white hair, a strange and exotic color...and she thought for a second that she had seen it before.

She felt as if she had once known these two warriors a long time ago, but, even though she racked her brain, she could not remember when or where.

"Sire, what are their names?" Rosa inquired softly, gesturing towards the duelists.

"The Dragoon is Kain Highwind, the Knight is Cecil Harvey. They’re young, but both show great potential, so I put them in their squads...a little prematurely. Look at them! Look at that jump!" the King marveled, smiling proudly. Rosa watched silently as Kain performed a leap that was as graceful and beautiful and deadly as an eagle’s dive. The one called Cecil managed to roll out of the way of the Dragoon’s flashing spear, but Kain took his advantage and tackled the Knight, sending them both crashing onto the ground. They looked like two young boys at horseplay...

There! That was it! She remembered them now! Rosa smiled as a small wave of nostalgia crashed over her. These two young men had been her playmates as a child many years back, when she was about five. They had been a little older--Cecil was one year older than she, Kain two. But when she had turned eight, they were no longer there to play with her in the village square; the King had promoted them to the rank of Page, and they could no longer waste their time on childish amusements.

A small smile cracked Rosa’s dry, pale lips as fond childhood memories flashed through her mind. ‘I wonder if they remember me,’ she thought to herself, but her mind immediately dismissed the question. It had been six years, and people can’t be expected to remember anyone for so long, especially without as much as saying hello once in a while.

After a long bout of intense dueling--both youths were superb fighters, skillful beyond their years--Cecil managed to crack Kain’s wooden practice spear in two, disarming him. Kain snatched Cecil’s sword away from him at exactly the same time. The fight was a draw; the two young men looked at each other for a long time before bursting into peals of laughter, slapping each other on the back as they limped off the field.

"Not bad, eh? They’re marvelous, those two! They have a potential for greatness, don’t you think, Aelia?" King Odin beamed proudly, glancing over at his favorite advisor.

Aelia’s skin had turned pale and her knees knocked each other as she returned the King’s glance with a weak, watery smile. Rosa felt a small thread of alarm shoot through her body; Aunt Aelia hated violence of any kind between human beings, and watching fights usually made her queasy. However, the King was so engrossed in extolling the merits of his soldiers to his generals that he did not notice Aelia’s condition.

"Are you all right, Aunt Aelia?" Rosa whispered, walking over to her aunt and placing a hand on her arm.

Aelia’s color slowly returned to her sharp, pretty face as she arose from her seat, wiping the sweat off her brow and straightening out her long, waist-length hair, which had become rather disheveled in the breeze.

"Oh, I’ll be all right," she responded to Rosa’s concern with an affected smile, "Just the heat and excitement, that’s all. Sire, if I may beg your leave, I would like to escort my niece home, now. She must pack up and say her good-byes. I’ll be back soon."

"Leave permitted. When you return, you’ll fill me in on that Silveria report, eh? And change your cloak! Well, Rosa," the King smiled down and clasped a heavy, hot hand down on the girl’s shoulder, "I wish you the best of luck. Who knows? You just might be in the Court one day!"

"God forbid!" Aelia snorted, saluting the King and leading Rosa off the dais. The fourteen year old felt her innards freeze as she was once more paraded in front of all the soldiers, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph and sadness. She would be a White Wizard of some variety, and she would be put to good use; on the other hand, she did not want to leave her mother and house.

‘I wonder how Mother will take this?’ Rosa wondered absently, her head feeling light; she was simply overwhelmed by the past two days’ events.

One thing was for certain: her life would never be the same again.

**********

Thus, Rosa packed all of her belongings and began her training at Baron Castle. To be perfectly frank, training was not an accurate way to describe her new life. From the moment she had put all of her belongings up in her new room, she received a curt order to clean up one of the court ladies’ parlors, rather messy after a fun and frivolous night during which a few dignified women had drunk a few too many cups of wine. She was immediately thrust into the dull, dusty world of a servant.

It was not horrible work, though; Rosa, since she had performed all the household chores while her mother worked to support the fatherless family, was accustomed to menial work. And it never got really gritty, either, as the refined quarters of the court ladies were never filthy. Still, it was physically taxing work--turning over the heavy comforters of the opulent beds was especially hard on Rosa’s back--and the fact that the girl had never been physically strong did not help any. But worst of all was the tedium of the job; dusting and cleaning up does not require much thinking, and Rosa loved learning and knowledge--that was what she had originally come for, anyway.

Although her new chores kept her extremely busy, Rosa did manage to squeeze in a few minutes of training about every other day. She walked in on classes for snatches of lessons; she asked the higher White Mages for outside help, to which they grudgingly obliged. The Order of White even allowed Rosa to don the white cloak of a Mage although she was not a true student per se. However, she was not allowed to enter the dormitory where the White Mages dwelled, nor was she allowed to attend prayers and rituals (which was just fine with her; Rosa never liked pomp and ceremony).Whenever she had the free time, she studied at the castle library, eager for knowledge and taking some measure of pleasure out of it. And, best of all, the girl could control her powers much more efficiently, learning true spells and how not to drain her life-energy.

Although Rosa was happy to be put to good use, her life was far from joyous. She got little sleep; the chores were wearing down her frail constitution; the long hours not spent in the library were usually dull.

But most of all, the girl was homesick. She lived in a small complex of rooms shared by four other fairly nice but exceedingly loud maids, and these rooms were Spartan and bare, though not horribly uncomfortable. There was no cheerfulness, no feeling of home about the place.

Rosa had begun to miss her house acutely from the get-go; the first night, she cried herself to sleep. Often, late at night, she would lay wide awake and simply think of home, her chest aching so badly that it sometimes brought fresh tears to her eyes. Of course, Cid and Aunt Aelia were always there, but Rosa could hardly catch a comforting word from them; all three of them were just so busy. And Rosa, being shy and retiring, had not made any new friends. The Court ladies were so high above her that the girl didn’t even try to speak to them; the other maids and the castle workers of a lower class were nice enough, but they were much too vulgar and dull for her taste. She was virtually alone.

Only two things gave Rosa the slightest bit of consolation: the hours spent in the library, and the letters from home that she received three times weekly. Her mother had been stoic enough when Rosa had left; but it was obvious from the amount of mail sent that Delia missed her only child keenly. Rosa packed away each letter carefully and read each many times over.

Still, Rosa was beginning to doubt whether these good things were enough to sustain her. Her physical and mental health were not good. Her skin, already quite pale, became almost bone white; the skin on her cheeks tightened over the cheekbones; her joints ached constantly. Although she concealed it from others, she struggled with severe depression.

She was a rather pitiful sight, this scrawny thing with a pale face and thin, slumped shoulders, wearing an ill-fitting white robe over dresses that were neat but threadbare. She was wasting away from lack of support, and it didn’t appear that she’d last much longer.

Then, suddenly, a most wonderful thing happened.

****************

One evening, about a month after Rosa had started to live in the castle, Rosa had finished her work early. Since there were no classes being held that particular day, and Aunt Aelia and Cid were nowhere to be found, she headed up to her usual spot in the castle: the library.

She had plunked herself down in a chair with one of her favorite books and became engrossed in the words. A sigh of slight pleasure escaped her lips; it felt good to relax, once in a while.

After a few minutes, however, she began to feel uncomfortable. She felt the same as she did on that long-ago day when she had walked in front of all those soldiers. Rosa then knew that she was being watched. A slight sweat formed on her brow as she hunched her thin shoulders over her book. If she pretended not to notice anything, perhaps she’d be left alone.

"Come on...talk...her..." someone whispered a few feet away; Rosa didn’t catch all of the words, just broken fragments. Still, she gritted her teeth in extreme discomfort.

"I...sure? I mean, what if...?"

"Just do it! Don’t be such a..."

Then the whispers stopped; Rosa relaxed a little, thinking that perhaps the owners of the voices had gone off. But she was proved wrong when she sensed the presence of someone hesitating over her shoulder.

Rosa couldn’t bear it any longer. She closed her book and glanced up, preparing to tell the rude stranger to please leave her alone, but the words did not form.

Standing right behind her was Cecil Harvey. He was not wearing his dark armor, but the girl recognized him from the very start; no-one in the castle who wasn’t deaf had not heard about the young Dark Knight. His skill and determination were extraordinary, and the King talked on and on about him all the time.

"H-Hello," Rosa stammered, looking up at him with wide eyes, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You’re Rosa, right? I’m Cecil..." the young man began, licking his lips nervously as he shifted his eyes to the floor.

"Cecil, you moron! You just botched it! Of course she knows who you are! Who doesn’t? Here, let me show you how it’s done!" a new voice laughed, making Rosa start. Suddenly, before she knew what had even happened, a Dragoon with long blonde hair and armor such a deep blue that it was almost black appeared in the seat beside her.

"Hi," the Dragoon greeted with a dazzling smile, extending a hand, "I’m Kain. That white-haired freak over there’s Cecil. You’re Rosa. But you probably already knew all that, didn’t you?"

"Yes," Rosa answered, smiling for the first time in weeks as she shook his hand warmly, "I’ve seen you two around the castle. But how did you know my name?"

"Well, let’s see, here. Hmm. Your aunt is only the King’s top advisor, your father was just a stupid ol’ Knight that everybody loved, and we only played with you every day for three years straight. It took a lot of time, but after an exhaustive search, we figured it out," Kain feigned a serious face as he tapped a finger on his temple.

"Oh, shut up, Kain. Don’t pay any attention to him, Rosa. He’s a Dragoon, God help him, and his head’s just as empty as his helmet," Cecil laughed, now much more relaxed in his friend’s company, as he snatched the dragon-shaped helmet right off Kain’s head, revealing the worst case of hat hair Rosa had ever seen.

"Aah! Put it back on, please! It’s too horrible!" Rosa pretended to cringe away, holding her hands in front of her, her face wreathed in smiles--they remembered her!. She had never cut up like this before except in Aelia’s presence, but something told the girl that she had a great deal of license around these two. Besides, their good-humor was contagious, and Rosa needed to laugh.

"If I’m so damn ugly, then give me back my helmet!" Kain snapped playfully as he made a grab for his dragon helmet, which Cecil immediately jerked out of the Dragoon’s reach. A game of keep-away began, Rosa and the Dark Knight tossing the crested helmet between them, always keeping it out of the now-fuming Kain’s reach. Rosa giggled, her face red with pleasure; she had never had so much fun.

The game was all too brief, unfortunately, for the extremely angry librarian kicked the three troublemakers out of the library, and none too gently, either. Kain and Cecil took it in stride, but Rosa was absolutely mortified. She was not used to making such a stir, and such negative attention embarrassed her.

"Well, I’d better go back to my room," Rosa sighed, her cheeks bright red and eyes downcast, as she straightened out her crooked circlet of pearls, "I have to get up early tomorrow."

"We’ll come with you," Cecil offered in his gentle voice.

"Yeah, you never know what may lurk out in the castle courtyard at night. Toads and slimy lizards for one," Kain declared, taking Rosa by one arm while Cecil gently took hold of the other.

"You think that a toad or a lizard would scare me?! I’m insulted! Nothing can be scarier than Aunt Aelia or Cid," Rosa pretended to be insulted as the two young men guided her back to the maids’ quarters.

"True, those are rather..disturbed individuals, but we know someone a hundred times more terrifying," Kain claimed, his eyes glittering brightly.

"And who’s that?" Rosa asked, rising to the bait.

"Baigan," Cecil answered. Rosa shuddered visibly at the name.

"Exactly. You don’t want to meet up with that smartass, either day or night." Cecil continued, a slight scowl creasing his handsome features. He was probably joking, but Rosa wasn’t too sure.

*************

After she had met Kain and Cecil, Rosa’s life turned for the better. She had more energy; the work didn’t appear nearly as hard as it had; her cheeks became pink with life and she smiled more often. More and more of her free time was spent in the company of the two young warriors, and the three renewed their friendship. They became practically inseparable.

The joy that these two brought was the light of the sun to Rosa, who basked in the warmth of their friendship, soaking it up. Over the next two years, a beauty heretofore unseen bloomed over the girl’s features: she became graceful, elegant, and beautiful under her meager clothes. Rosa’s family,--Aelia, Cid (he was considered part of the Farrells), and her mother(on her days off, Rosa was allowed to visit home)--noticed the change, and they were surprised but extremely pleased to have such a beautiful girl amongst them.

Other people noticed the visible changes brought about by Rosa’s friendship as well. For one day, when Rosa was a lovely seventeen-year-old and had become a familiar sight around the castle, she was invited to a dance at the Court--something very odd, for maids were not usually asked to attend Court social occasions.

When Rosa received the invitation, she was pleasantly surprised and rather embarrassed. The first thought that entered her head was: ‘Why did they do that?’ She didn’t know what to think; the Court ladies had hardly even bothered to sniff down their noses at her for the past three years, now they wanted her to join them! Rosa didn’t understand why any member of the Court would want her company after avoiding her for so long.

Gossip, especially among the maids of the castle, ran fast, and soon every single one of Rosa’s fellow servants had heard the news. And they were immensely jealous. Rosa had not been on the most friendly terms with the other maids, for she was still not good at making friends, but she had lived three years with them, and a bond of respect and polite kindness had formed between them...until now. The other maids would hardly say a word to Rosa, and avoided her company when possible. They snickered about her behind her back, and subjected Rosa to all of the other subtle kinds of torment jealous girls inflict on someone.

"Why are they doing this to me?" Rosa demanded of Aunt Aelia on the afternoon before the dance, as she was selecting a new dress to wear for the occasion. All of her other clothes were not suitable to be worn before members of the Court, so she decided to go shopping, and Aelia had gone with her for company and to help pick up the bill. Rosa was paid a salary, but an extremely fancy--thus expensive-- dress was required, and Rosa could not afford it on her own.

"Well, think about it. You’re going to a nice fancy party, they’re not. They’re only human, you know. Wouldn’t you be jealous in the same situation?" Aelia asked, fingering a dress of silver cloth.

"I guess I would. But it’s not like I want to go. I don’t! It’ll be horribly awkward. I don’t even know why they invited me in the first place." Rosa complained, grimacing as she glanced at the high prices of the dresses.

"Oh, waah. Stop your whining. Thousands of other girls would kill to fill your shoes. Good God, 100 gold pieces!? Look at this thing! Blue and orange watered silk with velvet trimmings? I wouldn’t use this for a dusting rag, and they charge 100 GP?!" Aelia grunted in disgust, both at her whiny niece and the blatant extortion in this store.

"Kill? Why? So they can show themselves off to the other ladies and to all the nice men?" Rosa demanded, her face hardening as the truth slowly dawned on her, "I know why they invited me. They want to just gawk at me, to see what I look like." Her face suddenly grew red as she stepped away from the dress displays. "I won’t go! I won’t let myself be paraded like a show horse!"

Aelia looked at Rosa sharply and quickly and rather roughly drew her close so that they were facing each other, noses inches apart.

"Listen to me, Rosa," Aelia hissed in a voice that was almost afraid, "you don’t know how the system works. When you are invited to Court, you go. For the head of the Court is the King, and no-one disobeys the King. Although he himself may not have invited you, the invitation is under his name. If you snub the Court, I assure you that you will be fired from your current job. You’ll never see your two friends again, and you’ll probably be blacklisted from getting any but the most filthy jobs in Baron. You will go! The consequences are too great if you don’t."

For a few seconds, Rosa gaped at her aunt as the nasty truth of the matter sank in. Then tears of frustration welled up in her eyes, and she began to speak, but Aelia stopped her.

"I know how you feel, Rosa. I hate it, too. There’re lots of nasty Court secrets you and most of the people of Baron know about. But what can we do? The King is so dulled by custom and breeding that he doesn’t see the rivalries and backstabbing in his own Court, so don’t blame him. The Court ladies just want to see you, to look you over. Once they get their fill, they won’t bother you any more. Besides, Cecil and Kain will be there, as well as yours truly."

That made the situation a little more bearable; Rosa wiped her eyes and stopped sniffling.

"There! I knew that would cheer you up! Now, let’s get back to shopping. Ah, here’s something...."

********

Rosa hesitated before the refreshment table laden with rich delicacies of all kinds, licking her lips nervously. She felt the stares of Court members boring into her from all sides, assessing her charms, judging her.

And some of those glances were jealous, others full of admiration; for Rosa was stunning tonight.

She was wearing a white satin dress which had a snug bodice that tapered into a point right at the waist; it had no collar, just a sweeping neckline that was curved into an arc which had its lowest point about an inch below Rosa’s collarbone. A red silk rose was pinned at the low point of the arc. The sleeves were embroidered with gold thread and ended halfway down her upper arms; a red satin sash was tied around her waist. Her pearl circlet glittered on her golden head. She was a picture of delicate beauty, a white rose with one streak of crimson.

Rosa sighed as she shifted her eyes from the goodies on the table to Aunt Aelia, who was conversing with some other diplomats on the other side of the grand ballroom. Her aunt was the only person she knew there; she could not find Cecil or Kain anywhere...

Suddenly, she saw him coming through the entrance: Cecil. Rosa’s heart leaped for joy as she waded her way through the sea of people to reach him.

"Cecil!" she called out over the strains of music from the orchestra, waving her arm in a very unladylike fashion. The young man, when he caught sight of her, stopped cold in his tracks; his jaw dropped slightly and his eyes widened.

"What’s the matter, Bugeyes?" Rosa teased gently.

"You look...really...nice...tonight," Cecil gulped, a silly smile creeping over his face, which was a bit red. Rosa had never seen him so embarrassed or shy; he was usually very open around her, and he usually answered her teasing with some gentle humor of his own. Recently, though, Cecil had become a bit more withdrawn from Kain and her, and Rosa didn’t understand that, either...

"Thank you, thank you," Rosa gave him an appreciative bow, "Say, where’s Kain? Wasn’t he invited, too?"

"He’s sick," Cecil explained, "The doctors wouldn’t let him out of bed. He was mad as hell, too. He was really looking forward to this." He jerked his head over to a small group of pretty Court ladies chatting together. Rosa smiled knowingly. Kain was very popular among the ladies; he had quite a following. He flirted with them constantly, but Rosa never felt in the least bit jealous; it was simply a part of Kain’s droll nature. Besides, he never followed up on his flirting. Rosa had yet to see some lady hanging on his arm.

Cecil never flirted, however, with any girl--not even her. Cecil was simply not that type; he was gentler than Kain, and less witty. Such an attitude never gets a girl’s attention. Besides, Cecil was more interested in his training as a Dark Knight; he had toiled away mercilessly, insistent on making himself a fine warrior, and now he was a Captain with a busy schedule. Even Kain never saw as much of him any more.

"Poor guy," Rosa sighed as she and Cecil took some chairs and watched the Court dance and hobnob, "I think I’ll bring him some refreshments after this is over. It’ll make him feel better."

"Rosa, you’re all heart," Cecil grinned, taking her hand and squeezing it as he was often wont to do; yet his voice held no teasing in it. It was dead serious.

Rosa beamed up at the Dark Knight before turning her gaze to the Court members in front of her. This really wasn’t so bad, now that Cecil was here, and the young woman could now see that, despite its high-handedness, the Court really was splendid. All of those beautiful women in beautiful gowns dancing to beautiful music was pleasing to watch, though Rosa wouldn’t have been a part of it for the world. She sighed quietly and settled back in her chair, feasting her eyes on the spectacle before her.

A light touch on her arm brought her back to reality. Rosa turned and faced Cecil, who was looking down at her with a hint of shyness in his smile.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, his usually clear, mellow voice now timid.

‘He’s so cute when he’s shy! I love him to death!’ Rosa laughed to herself as she nodded and took his proffered arm.

"So," Rosa commented as they began to dance, "how goes your training?"

"Just fine. Once Cid shows me all the ropes, I’ll be assigned to be an airship Captain," Cecil’s face brightened; he liked to talk about his training.

"You’d think that Kain would try out for the job, being a Dragoon and all. He should be at home in the air, yet he hates the things," Rosa murmured as Cecil twirled her around. Airships were Cid’s greatest invention--Aelia had not believed her ears when she heard the news--and Baron’s power was growing rapidly as a result. No other countries had Airship technology, and now Baron had become the mightiest country in the world. They had a fleet, the Red Wings, which made the military practically invincible. King Odin knew how to build up a strong defense, all right; he may have been a bit out of touch in local affairs, but his knowledge of military matters bordered on genius.

"What’s it like, riding on an airship?" Rosa inquired curiously as she glided over the dance floor, never taking her eyes off Cecil.

"It’s wonderful. I really can’t describe it. You need to come and ride sometime and see for yourself."

"No, thanks! I have enough trouble with chocobo riding as it is. How can I even hope to ride an Airship without losing my lunch?" Rosa giggled, making a face.

"That’s what those little bags are for," Cecil pointed out with a smile, "I swear, Rosa, you’re a wimp. But you’re a sweet, kind, very beautiful one..."

"You flatterer!" Rosa smiled, beaming, giving his shoulder a little shove. Suddenly, she was very self-conscious. And then she realized that she and Cecil were the only ones dancing. All the other couples had moved off the floor and were watching the two young people dance. Rosa and Cecil were so graceful and so pleasing to watch that the other couples simply gave up and gaped at them.

"Cecil..." Rosa whispered, the bloom fading from her cheeks as she shifted her eyes around the room. The dancing suddenly became more awkward.

"Don’t worry. Just one more step, and we’re through," Cecil assured, his arm tightening slightly around her waist as he suddenly slowed his pace. And he kept his word; after a few more seconds, they give one final twirl. The resounding crash of applause made Rosa nearly jump out of her skin.

"I’m leaving," Rosa, thoroughly embarrassed, whispered, "I don’t want to show off any more. Besides, Kain is probably fuming right now. He’ll want some company."

"I’ll come with you," Cecil declared as he led her off the dance floor. Rosa nodded, grateful for his company.

"I wonder if you should give a sick person such rich stuff," Rosa muttered as she went over to the refreshment table.

"It’s not bad, only a nasty cold. He can eat anything," Cecil laughed. Rosa beamed; it had been so long since she had last heard Cecil laugh.

************

After visiting a very cranky and very hungry Kain, Rosa and Cecil had climbed out one of the higher castle windows and were lying on the roof--which was not very steep, so they were never in danger of falling off. She, Kain, and Cecil often came here when they wanted to be alone and talk about things.

The stars were twinkling brightly in the black sky, and, as she stared up at them, Rosa suddenly felt a surge of happiness course through her. She smiled and gave a low, contented sigh.

"What’s on your mind?" Cecil interrupted her thoughts, bringing her back to reality.

"Oh, nothing much. I’m just happy, that’s all. And the stars, just look at them. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?"

"Yeah. Beautiful," Cecil answered in a tone of voice that Rosa had never heard him use before. She turned her head, and then noticed that Cecil was not looking up at the sky at all. He was staring at her.

Rosa felt a blush come to her cheeks, but she was far from displeased. Instead, she stared right back. She had always liked being around Cecil; he was kind, gentle, full of good humor, handsome, afraid of nothing...Sure, he had some faults, but who didn’t? He was simply a good man, that was all there was to it.

And she was in love with him.

This thought hit Rosa like a freight train; she had never considered Cecil anything more than one of her best friends before, but now...

This feeling brought fright as well as happiness; Rosa had never felt this way before. She knew nothing about these matters! Suppose she botched it all up? What would Cecil think...or, rather, what would Kain think? He always did have a bit of a jealous streak.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she was startled when she felt Cecil’s hand close gently around hers. But after the initial shock, she simply smiled and squeezed it, staring right into Cecil’s beautiful green eyes.

Those green eyes were adoring her.

"Rosa..." Cecil stammered, but she silenced him by gently resting a finger on his lips. Thanks to her women’s intuition, she knew exactly what he wanted to say.

"I know. I love you, too." she whispered with a gentle smile, bringing down her finger to trace his jawline with it.

Cecil leaned down and began to kiss her, tentatively at first, but then each touch of his lips grew warmer and more passionate. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips with loving gentleness, and Rosa kissed him right back. She was completely happy. All thoughts of the evening’s occurrences, of Aunt Aelia, of Cid, even of Kain, disappeared from her mind. There was only Cecil, Cecil, whose spirit was so like her own. They were perfect for each other.

Rosa gave a gentle, happy sigh as she leaned against Cecil, resting her head against his chest as she ran her fingers gently through his thick white hair. He sighed and held her close, shutting his eyes as he linked his fingers with hers.

It was a beautiful night.

END PART 2