Lucia Loses to Celes

I must have heard that wrong. Was I just dreaming? This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening.

“No running.” Having noticed I tried to pull my hand away, he grabbed my wrist, and looked into my eyes. “It looks like you don’t believe me. Am I really that far out of your options...”

“Eh, ah— Um, no...”

“But even if you didn’t think of me like that before, you will now. I won’t give up until I have you in my arms, and if you don’t believe me, I’ll say it as many times as I have to.”

His face got close enough that I could feel his breath, and I started panicking. Wait, please wait! I haven’t accepted reality yet!

“I love you, Lucia. I’ve loved you for so long. Do you know how much I looked forward to sunny days after meeting you again? I didn’t want you to be intimidated, so I hid who I was. And even though my entire regiment wanted to thank you, I kept you secret, so no one could get ahead of me... I was so disappointed when I learned I had to leave on this journey, but do you realize how happy I was when you showed up?”

He raised his other hand to touch my face softly.

“I was so jealous when the Sacred Maiden was keeping you all to herself. And I was seething mad when His Highness said he might take you. You didn’t know, did you?”

Of course I didn’t know! I’d thought that he loved Miss Maria. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that he felt that way about me!

“I love you. I’ll stay with you forever, if you want. I won’t leave you alone. If you don’t have anywhere to go home to, we can just make somewhere, together. So — will you take my hand?”

By then, my head had finally started to accept that this was reality, not a dream. It’s not a dream. Sir Celes saying he loves me isn’t just a dream. This is reality. Sir Celes says that he loves me. The moment I realized, tears started dropping from my eyes.

“Wha...Lucia!? Um, is it... Are you so upset that you’re crying...?”

“No...no, it’s not that. I’m not cryi...”

Sir Celes was flustered, but I didn’t want him to misunderstand. I tried my hardest to hold back, but I couldn’t stop the tears. Nothing would change if I cried. There was something I had decided to do instead of crying.

“I’m sorry, please don’t cry.”

“No...I’m just so happy.”

He said I wasn’t alone anymore — that he’d be with me — that he’d give me somewhere to go home to. The person I loved more than anyone said all that to me. I could barely contain my happiness. But was he really okay with me? I wasn’t beautiful, or smart. I had no family, and more debt than money. There was nothing good about me.

“Am I...really okay?” I stuttered.

Sir Celes answered immediately, “You’re fine. I don’t want anyone but you.”

I didn’t think I suited him. But even so. Just like he said he wanted me, I wanted him. He said he didn’t want anyone else but me, and I felt the same way. He said he loved me, and I loved him back. I didn’t want anyone else, and I didn’t want to give him to anyone else. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but the words got stuck in my throat.

Still sobbing, I covered his hand with my own. No. I didn’t want to see me while I was so pathetic. My eyes must be red, and my face messed up with tears. I was so embarrassed, I wanted to disappear, but I was afraid that this would just be a dream if I did — so I gathered up my courage.

“Sir Celes.” Wiping my eyes roughly with the hand he wasn’t holding, I looked straight at him. I needed to breathe, and calm down enough to talk to him. You have to properly face people who look at you sincerely. “I’m okay with you too. I don’t want anyone else but you. If you’re alright with me, can I stay beside you?”

After I used all of my courage to squeeze out my very first confession, he smiled like the sun.