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As Terra flew away from the Narshe cliffside, shrieking with fury into the frigid night, Edgar watched her striking silhouette gradually fade away in the sky.
She was unrecognizable in her Esper form, and his heart stuttered up into his throat as he stood there, astonished still at her unexpected transformation.
He'd found her heartbreakingly beautiful, he realized.
Not that he hadn't admired her looks before. There was no denying that Terra was an attractive young woman, with her graceful limbs and large, sad eyes. He'd been intrigued by her mystery from the beginning, but his sly flirtations at the time had at least partly been force of habit.
The charismatic young king with the glib tongue and appreciative eye for the fairer sex was a convenient mask to hide behind, most times. It was not to say that he wasn't genuine in the praise he customarily offered, but he admitted, at least to himself, that he had a tendency to perhaps... exaggerate this particular aspect of his personality.
Was it easier to act the overly-enamored gentlemen in an effort to charm his way into women's good graces, rather than to allow himself to express genuine vulnerability? Of course, it was.
His fair face and well-proportioned figure had always allowed him to benefit from privileges perhaps unearned; after all, who could say no to the handsome Prince of Figaro when he offered an impish smile and a gaze full of promise? He had even kept up the charade as king, he was so used to it.
In truth, he felt a fraud. But it was easier to show people what they expected than to let them get close, to allow them to see all of the ugly, rough-hewn edges that he kept hidden on the inside.
And so, he had learned to rely on his charm and good looks when it came to women. It was the only way he knew how to act, but it had become... unsatisfying.
He had found that, despite himself, he craved a deeper connection, beyond the superficial trappings he was used to. But how was he to find such a thing? Where was he to even begin looking?
Terra had caught him by surprise. She'd ignored his initial flirtations, and her rejection had been... unexpected. He hadn't quite known what to make of her, truth be told, especially after learning that she could use magic.
But that lack of understanding had left him with a certain desire – to unlock her secrets and learn what sort of woman she truly was.
And now, the stark reality had appeared before him, streaking off in a blaze of pink hair whipping across the horizon.
He was mesmerized.
Terra's transformation into an Esper had shown him another side of her; her usual elegance had been paired with raw power and a rage beyond anything he'd imagined her capable of. It had been unexpected, shocking, and glorious.
But beneath that power and rage had pulsed an undercurrent of pain; an agonizing sadness that had cut its way inside him.
He had seen what lay at the heart of the mystery that was Terra Branford – and now, more than anything, he felt the need to show her who he truly was as well.
He'd seen the claws of her fear, and the teeth of her fury, the fire in her eyes overwhelmed with pure, unbridled release. She had stood, whole and vulnerable before him, and he had felt a kinship.
He knew, somehow, that with Terra, he did not need to hide the parts of himself that had been pushed aside for so long. He did not need to pretend to be someone he was not. And that realization made his heart well up with a burst of joyful pride that almost made him weep.
But before that, before he could think to offer his honest self to her, she needed his help.
He and the others would find her and make sure she was alright. And once she was safe, and comfortable, and free of the weight of her destiny, he would ask her for the favor of a non-judgmental ear.
If she allowed him, he would show her the true Edgar, would let down his defenses and be honest with a woman in a way he hadn't been since his mother's death.
And somehow he knew that, this time, Terra would not reject him.