Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance.

Chapter 1

Zidane leaned against the rail, his tail flicking back and forth behind him. He stared moodily out at the scenery, not really looking at the city spread out before him. It had been six months since he had been reunited with Dagger. A smile softened his features as he remembered her expression when he had revealed his identity on the stage, acting out a part in the play that had brought them together the first time. A few months later, they had gotten married. It was a private affair with only their close friends in attendance. Zidane had been surprised that that was what Dagger had wanted. The honeymoon was wonderful, but afterwards reality set in. The day after, as a matter of fact, the classes began. Dagger had been raised this way, brought up to inherit the kingdom. Zidane didn't have to worry about actually ruling the nation - it was a matriarchy, after all - but he did have to learn how to look and act like a king at formal ceremonies and other occasions where his attendance would now be mandatory. Which brought him back to his current predicament: the ball being held tonight to celebrate Queen Garnet's marriage. A formal gathering which he, as the new king, had to be present for. The event had been announced six weeks ago and he had been in royal boot camp ever since. He held no illusions of what was in store for him.

He didn't turn around as the sound of footsteps drew near him from behind, the shoes lightly clicking against the tiled floors. "I thought I might find you here," a soft voice said. She was wearing a white dress reserved for formal occasions and a silver tiara. Her long dark hair fell in locks down her back, secured with a pale yellow clip near the tips. Her dark brown eyes held a hint of amusement as she watched the blonde leaning over the rail. "Edwin was quite distressed when you didn't show up for your refresher course this morning."

"I'll be he was," Zidane stated, a slight smile forming on his face. Giving the aged chamberlain a hard time was quickly becoming one of the blonde's favorite pastimes.

"He is just trying to help, Zidane," the Queen chided gently.

"Oh, come on, Dagger!" The blonde fully turned to face his wife. "I know which fork to use for the salad and which spoon for the soup, I can waltz in my sleep, I can name every queen back to the founding of this country, as well as the accomplishments during her rein. I can even quote the rules of etiquette forwards and backwards-"

The brunette laid a restraining hand on his arm, smiling at him. "I know you are trying hard, and Edwin told me he was impressed with how fast you were learning everything."

"Then why do I still have to sit through these boring lectures from Eddie?"

Dagger chuckled softly. "Zidane, we have discussed this all before. Stalling will not get you out of attending the ball tonight," she stated. "You need to get dressed soon."

The King raised the back of his hand to his forehead dramatically. "If the Queen wishes it, then I must obey," he said teasingly. He smiled at her before making a face. "I still can't figure out where all those sashes and buckles go, though."

The brunette inclined her head. "I will send Steiner up to help you."

"Not Rusty!" he groaned.

"Would you prefer Edwin assist you?" she asked.

Zidane paused, weighing his options carefully. "There's no one else?" he asked suspiciously.

"No," she replied, smiling sweetly. "Everyone else is busy with the preparations for tonight."

He exaggerated a sigh. "If it's Eddie, he'll only lecture me some more. I guess I'd better go with Rusty."

Dagger nodded, turning to leave. "I will send him up to your room." She paused, chewing her lip uncertainly before turning back. "Zidane," she started, her serious tone drawing his attention. "You know how important this is to Alexandria- how important it is to me. Please-"

"Don't worry, Dagger, I promise I'll be on my best behavior tonight," he interrupted, grinning.

"It's not very reassuring when you say it like that," she remarked dryly. "It's just-" She shook her head. "Traditionally, the queen has married one of the nobles' sons. The fact that no one has heard of you or knows who you are has quite a few people upset. We cannot let anyone know who you really are, either. We should not have to mingle tonight, but..."

Zidane moved over to her, taking both her hands in his. "Don't worry about it. Tonight will go off without a hitch, you'll see," he assured her, holding her gaze with his own.

She nodded, unable to keep from smiling. "You make me feel as if the impossible is within my grasp- as though it would be all right even if everyone discovered that you were not only a resident of Lindblum, but a thief as well. How do you do that?" she asked.

He grinned cockily, wagging his finger at her. "That's a trade secret."

"Your Majesties!"

The royal couple turned as an older man quickly made his way towards them. The top of his head was bald, the white hair still remaining on the sides held back in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. He bowed as he neared them, turning his attention to the King as soon as he had straightened up once more. "Sire, I have been looking everywhere for you!" he scolded lightly, his hazel eyes narrowed.

Zidane scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Eddie."

Edwin cringed. "Please, your Majesty, speak properly! It is unbefitting of a king to use slang and create these silly little nicknames! And do not scratch your head like that! Have you learned nothing?" the balding man asked exasperatedly.

"Oh, come off it, Eddie," the blonde replied, shrugging. "There's no one here to impress, anyway."

"That is entirely beside the point!" the chamberlain huffed. He noticed his lord's appearance for the first time, realizing the new King was not yet ready for the ball. "Why are you not yet dressed? Do you not know that the ball is only two hours away? Come, I shall assist you and we can go over everything you have learned while you dress."

At a pained and pleading look from her husband, Dagger decided to intercede. "That won't be necessary, Edwin," she stated, drawing the older man's attention. "You are undoubtedly quite busy overseeing the arrangements for tonight's celebration. Captain Steiner will assist the King. Would you please inform him?"

Edwin turned to the brunette, looking as if he wanted to say something but decided against it, bowing instead. "Yes, my Lady, right away," he said, leaving to fulfill the Queen's wishes.

Zidane looked at Dagger appraisingly. "I thought he was going to drag me to my room kicking and screaming, but he didn't even argue when you told him no. How do you do that?" he asked.

The brunette smiled. "That's a trade a secret," she replied, winking.

The blonde groaned. "I should've seen that one coming."

The Queen laughed softly. "I have done my part in making sure Edwin won't bother you again before the ball. Now, you have to go and get ready or you'll have double the classes with him tomorrow."

Zidane winced. "That's just a bit below the belt, doncha think?"

"Not at all, if it gets the desired results. I could simply order you to go, but I think this gives you more incentive not to be late."

"Tyrant."

Dagger smiled. "No one said it was easy to rule a kingdom. One must do what one must. Now go."

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" he said, holding his hands up in surrender. He darted forward, stealing a quick kiss before heading towards his room.

Dagger shook her head at his antics, still smiling. She turned away from the door, looking out over the city of Alexandria. Her face grew solemn as the sun sank lower towards the horizon. "Please, Zidane," she whispered, her soft words lost in the wind. "We have to make this work." Sighing, she turned and headed back inside.

. . .

Zidane looked mournfully at the clothes laid out on his bed. "I can't believe people actually think this looks good," he muttered, gingerly holding the silken fabric between two fingers. He let the garment fall back to the pile on the bed, flopping down beside it. "I've done a lot of things for the women in my life, but I think dressing up like a peacock to be gawked at by the nobles for a few hours takes the cake." He turned as the door to his room opened.

Steiner entered, looking disapprovingly at the clothes still sitting on the bed. "The Queen sent me to assist you," he stated, closing the door behind him.

"Yeah, I know. She asked me who I wanted to help."

The knight looked a little surprised. "And you chose me?" he asked, pulling a shirt from the pile.

"Don't get too excited." Zidane pushed himself off the bed, knowing that he couldn't put it off any longer. "It was a choice between you and Eddie, which really isn't a choice at all," he stated, unbuttoning his vest.

Steiner did not reply, patiently waiting for the blonde to remove his casual clothes before helping him into the finer garments. "I do not know why you insist on wearing that outfit," he commented, nodding to the discarded pile on the floor. "Although it pains me to say it, you were quite good at your previous profession, even if it was less than honorable. Surely, you could have afforded something better?"

"Hey, I like my clothes!" Zidane protested, his words a bit muffled as he pulled an undershirt over his head. "At least those are comfortable, unlike these."

"You must dress in a manner befitting your station," the older man said sternly.

"I know, I know. I'll dress and act the part whenever I need to, which is what I'm doing right now, in case you hadn't noticed. Sheesh! If I'd wanted a lecture, I would have had Eddie help me!" the teen complained, holding his arms out to the sides as Steiner adjusted the tunic.

The knight did not reply, the soft rustle of cloth the only sound in the room. He helped Zidane into the silken leggings, gently pulling his tail through the opening in the back. "Forgive me," he said at length, breaking the silence.

The King paused, his shirt half tucked in as he turned to look at the captain. "What? What are you going on about now?" he asked, confused.

"Edwin has been your teacher, instructing you in the ways of royalty, not I. He is far more knowledgeable and better suited to the task than I am." Steiner picked up the sash from the bed, laying it across Zidane's shoulder and tying it deftly at the opposite hip, letting the ends hang down. "I have been watching you these past months. I must admit, I didn't think you'd be able to pull it off. True, you had changed greatly from the carefree thief you were when I first met you, but to become a king? I didn't believe any amount of coaching would be able to hide your common upbringing." He retrieved the shoes, helping the blonde slide his feet in them before tying the laces. "But, you surprised me yet again. I couldn't believe how fast you were learning everything! History, etiquette, ceremonies- everything that the royalty and nobles learn from birth you mastered in a few short months!" He shook his head, holding up the surcoat as Zidane slid his arms into it. Steiner moved back to the front, fastening the chain to keep the cloak from falling off. He moved over to a table, opening an ornately carved wooden box. Resting on a satin pillow inside it was crown, the delicate bands of gold woven into an intricate design. The knight lifted the crown, moving to stand in front of the blonde once more. "And now, here you are, ready to be presented to the kingdom as her new king," he said, setting the circlet reverently upon Zidane's head. He stepped back, bowing his head as he kneeled. "It was not my place to correct your behavior."

Zidane stared down at the knight, one eyebrow raised. Where did that come from? he wondered, not quite sure what to make of the knight's confession. He shrugged, dismissing it for the time being. Moving over to the full-length mirror on the wall, he studied his reflection. He wore a pale green vest with gold designs embroidered on it. His breeches were slightly darker, coming to his knees. Silken hose of the same color disappeared into his off white shoes. The sash and surcoat were both emerald green, the latter swaying slightly behind him as his tail twitched beneath it. A belt made of golden links of chain encircled his waist, matching the smaller chain keeping the surcoat on his shoulders. A few of the ruffles on his white undershirt were visible at the top of his vest's closure on his chest. No wonder Baku always threatened to beat us if we laughed at him when he played King Leo in "I Want to be Your Canary," he thought. "I look ridiculous."

"Nonsense!" Steiner stated, coming to stand behind him. "You look every bit of the royalty that you now are."

Zidane gave him a long sideways glance. "Anyway, we should probably head down there. Dagger would kill me if I was late," he said, moving towards the door. The clanking of armor told him that the knight was following."

. . .

The feast and first dance went quite smoothly, in Zidane's opinion. His presence and table manners were all that was really required for the meal. The dance, while potentially nerve-wracking due to it being only Dagger and himself on the floor while all the nobles watched, was nothing for one who had acted out several lead roles on stage in front of larger groups. It was a mere three hours after leaving his room that the new king found himself sitting on the throne beside his wife, listening as the various courtiers offered their congratulations to the Queen on her union. After about the twentieth noble giving essentially the same speech, Zidane decided he was bored out of his mind.

Knowing it wouldn't be acceptable for him to leave for another hour at least, the blonde cast about for something else to entertain him, while still seeming to be paying rapt attention to whichever noble was speaking at the time. It wasn't hard to do- the nobles only glanced at him when they were presented. Edwin introduced them as they bowed at the base of the stairs, naming each courtier for Zidane's benefit. Although he recognized the majority of the court on sight from his trips to Treno while he was still a member of Tantalus, the public story stated he was a 'foreigner' to Alexandria.

"The Lady D'Loncrae." Edwin's voice brought the King's attention back to the noblewoman straightening up after curtsying. His eyes widened slightly upon catching sight of her jewelry, although the pleasant smile on his face never wavered.

"The D'Loncrae's must be having some financial difficulties," he whispered without moving his lips, careful to keep his voice soft enough to only be heard by his wife next to him.

Dagger blinked, the only sign she had been startled by her husband's comment. "What makes you say that?" she asked, her voice just as soft as his as she also keep up the appearance of focusing completely on the noblewoman several steps below her.

"Just look at her jewelry- it's clearly paste," Zidane explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The Queen blinked again, looking more closely at the necklace Lady D'Loncrae was wearing. She couldn't see anything that marked it as a fake. Quickly, her eyes darted down to her own adornments, wondering if any of them weren't quite as genuine as she thought.

The blonde caught the glance out of the corner of his eye, his pleasant smile widening slightly to border on a teasing grin. "Don't worry," he whispered. "Yours are all real. I already checked.

The brunette inclined her head ever-so-slightly to acknowledge his statement, her eyes glazing over as her mind wandered to when Zidane might have had time to check. She wasn't sure whether she should be irritated he'd gone through her jewelry or pleased he wanted to make sure she didn't wear anything that wasn't real. Her mind came back to the present as Lady D'Loncrae finished her speech. Dagger nodded more noticeably, accepting the noblewoman's congratulations and dismissing her with the same gesture. It wasn't more than a few seconds before the next courtier approached the throne.

"Lord Welingh'm," Edwin intoned.

"He has quite the mansion," Zidane whispered, happy to have found a way to relieve his boredom. "Three dining rooms- can you believe it? The last one used to have such a lovely chandelier in it, too..."

Dagger's smile tightened. "What do you mean, 'used to?' "

"Well, accidents do happen..." he hedged.

The Queen almost rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt any part of that was an 'accident' if you were involved," she stated, her glaze never leaving the oblivious lord as he prattled on about this 'blessed occasion.'

"Actually, it was. Baku told Cinna he wanted the Choundiar painting hanging on the wall, but Cinna thought he said 'chandelier,' so we took that instead. Needless to say, Baku wasn't too happy when we got back."

Dagger pursed her lips slightly, her shoulders barely trembling as she suppressed her mirth. She managed to reign in her laughter rather quickly, although her smile was a bit wider than before by the time Lord Welingh'm had finished his congratulatory speech. Upon noticing this, the lord bowed deeply again before taking his leave, throwing his cape behind his shoulder as he walked back towards the dance floor. There was a noticeable bounce in his step that hadn't been there previously, believing he had gained the Queen's favor with his carefully prepared speech.

The remainder of the evening was rather enjoyable for the royal couple. Zidane shared interesting tidbits about the nobles as they came up, testing Dagger's ability to keep a polite mask in place to conceal her thoughts more than once. The courtiers, for their part, remained oblivious to the quiet conversations held on the thrones. However, when fifteen minutes had passed without a courtier coming to offer their well-wishes, Dagger took Zidane's hand, indicating it was alright for them to take their leave. Meeting her dark gaze, he nodded, rising to his feet as she did the same. As they descended from the thrones, the throng of dancers stopped and moved aside, bowing as the royal couple walked passed. The music started again as soon as they left the room, the sounds of merriment being muffled by the thick oak doors.

"I think that went well. Don't you?" Zidane asked once he and his wife were alone and away from the party.

"I wasn't sure we could make it through the night without any problems," she admitted, turning into a corridor that lead to the gardens. She chuckled. "Especially with those tales you insisted on sharing."

"What can I say? You looked as bored as I was."

"I'll have you know that succumbing to gales of laughter while listening to the aristocrats congratulations on marriage is not very queen-like behavior."

"Then it's a good thing you didn't succumb, huh?" he said, guiding her along the stone paths to the edge of the lake separating the castle from the town.

"No thanks to you," she remarked, playfully slapping his arm.

"C'mon, you know you like having me around," he replied, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

The sound of footsteps approaching at a quick pace pre-empted Dagger's reply. Zidane groaned softly, releasing his wife and stepping back to see who was responsible for the interruption.

"Please forgive the intrusion, Your Majesties," the servant stated as soon as he had reached them, going down on one knee. "I have come to inform you that Regent Cid of Lindblum has just arrived at the castle."

"Uncle Cid is here? At this late hour?" Dagger asked, looking up at the stars overhead.

"I believe the Regent may have traveled in another one of his experimental airships My Lady," the servant said, still kneeling with his head bowed.

"Very well. Inform him that I shall be in momentarily."

"Yes, My Lady," he said, standing and hurrying back the way he had come.

"Cid sure has lousy timing," Zidane complained.

Dagger laughed. "Come now, Zidane. If he did indeed fly in his newest airship, it's a wonder he arrived at all." She began walking back towards the castle, stopping after a few feet when she realized her husband was not following her. "Will you be joining us?" she asked.

The blonde craned his head back, gazing up at the stars. "Nah, I think I'll stay out here for a bit longer. Give Cid my regards, will ya?"

Nodding, she turned and headed back along the path, disappearing through an archway.

Zidane stared at the stars for a few minutes more before he turned and began walking along the shore, skirting the edge of the castle grounds.

He walked along for several minutes, stopping when he came to the fountain in front of the main entrance. He leaned against the stone railing along the dock for the ferry between the castle and the town. A good portion of the town was still awake, the lights reflecting on the calm surface of the lake. He smiled at the sound of heeled shoes clicking against the flagstone, the skirt of a dress swishing as someone approached him from behind. "It seems too beautiful of a view to waste on one alone," he said.

"It is quite lovely," an unfamiliar feminine voice remarked.

Zidane jumped, spinning around when he realized it wasn't Dagger that had come to join him. His surprise must have shown on his face for the courtier sank into a low curtsy.

"Forgive me, Sire. I did not mean to startle you," she apologized.

"No, I-" The blonde paused to take a short breath, composing himself. "I mistook you for someone else."

"If it pleases My Lord, I can leave," she offered, turning back towards the castle.

"No, that isn't necessary," he assured her, looking out once more across the lake. "You may stay, if you wish."

"Thank you, Sire."

They stood in silence for a few moments, both pretending to admire the view while their thoughts ran in opposite directions. The noblewoman was pondering how to best approach the subject she wanted to discuss while Zidane tried to remember if he had been introduced to her earlier or not. He finally decided it was better to be safe than sorry and feign ignorance.

"Having seen so many new faces tonight, I'm afraid that I cannot seem to place a name to yours," he said.

"Duchess De Ghent," she supplied, curtsying again.

"Ah, yes," he replied, nodding. "With so many new names to learn, I fear I shall be asking this question far too often."

"Speaking of names," she started, turning to face him, "I know I've heard yours before, but I cannot remember where. Tell me, where do you hail from?"

Ah, the court gossip. I was wondering when my interrogation would begin, he thought, careful to keep any trace of a smile off his face. "I doubt you've heard of it," he stated.

"How can you be sure? Geography was one of my favorite subjects."

No need to lay it on so thick. "I come from Terra, beyond the Shimmering Island." At her blank stare, he elaborated a bit more. "Near the northern most tip of the Forgotten Continent."

Her eyes widened considerably. "So far! Pray tell, what brought you to our fair kingdom? For, that is quite a distance to travel for a leisurely trip."

And, more importantly, how did I manage to become Dagger's chosen husband, right? Well, if she wants a wants a juicy story to spread around the court... "I met Queen Garnet when she journeyed through my land several years back. Her mother, Queen Brahne, was still with us at the time. I could tell even then, dressed as a peasant and hiding under an alias that Queen Garnet was a remarkable woman. I fell in love the first time I laid my eyes on her," he said, allowing his features to soften as he stared across the lake, seemingly lost in a memory. He was actually watching her reaction to the story very carefully. She seemed a bit skeptical. I guess not all woman are hopeless romantics, he thought.

"Forgive my presumptuousness, but if it was love at first sight, might I ask why it was years later before you appeared in this court?"

Ah, so that's what the problem is. Well, that's easily fixed. He allowed his expression to grow darker, secretly pleased as he heard her take a half step back. "My people don't take well to outsiders," he said bitterly. "It was all I could do to help her escape unscathed from Terra back then. The repercussions of my actions were what delayed my coming to Alexandria. As it is, coming here is tantamount to treason for me. I can never return to Terra again. I'm sure that they've stripped me of my lands and my title by now." Here, he allowed a bit of melancholy slip into his voice.

"And, what was your title?" she asked, her voice soft.

Zidane finally turned to look at her, as if just remembering she was there. "My title?" he repeated, shifting his gaze off to the side, as if pondering the matter. "I'm not entirely sure how it translates into your language- we don't have a monarchy in Terra -but I think the equivalent rank would be Crown Prince- or rather, Crown Princess, as this is a matriarchy." He smiled slightly as her eyes widened a bit more than they should have. The information that had been fed to the nobles of his background and status had been vague at best.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty."

Saved by the courier. Oh, yes, Treno is going to be teeming with rumors about me by this time tomorrow, he thought, mentally allowing himself to grin a little evilly. Outwardly composed, he turned his attention to the servant.

"The Queen summons you."

"I will go to her straightaway. If you will excuse me, Duchess." He followed the courier back inside, not bothering to hide his pleased smile as he entered the castle.

Dagger was pacing restlessly inside the library when Zidane entered the room. The Queen stopped when she spotted him, turning and meeting him halfway. "I'm sorry, Zidane, I shouldn't have left you alone. The night was going so well, I should have known it couldn't last. I sent the courier as soon as I saw-" she began, talking quickly. Her face was a mixture of worry and apprehension.

"Whoa, slow down there," he interrupted, not following her line of thought. "What do you mean, you shouldn'ta left me alone? You don't trust me unsupervised on the castle grounds?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"It's not that," she replied, ignoring the taunt. "I was talking with Cid on the balcony when I noticed Duchess De Ghent alone with you by the fountain."

"Man, I haven't even been married for six months and I'm already accused of being unfaithful," Zidane said, shaking his head ruefully. "Couldn't I at least have had an affair with someone a bit closer to my age?"

"Zidane, this is serious!" Dagger scolded. "You may be dealing with the aristocrats now, but they can be just as vicious and ruthless as a group of bandits lying in wait on the highway side."

"Yeah, and I've never had much trouble with those, either."

The brunette sighed, sinking into a nearby chair and wishing her husband wasn't in such a playful mood. "You fail to recognize the severity of this situation. Whatever you told her will be known all over Treno by noon tomorrow. She could have all the nobles up in arms, figuratively speaking, depending on what you said."

The King grinned widely. "I'm counting on it."

"This isn't a game!" Dagger almost yelled. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to help calm herself. "What all did you tell her?" she asked, her voice resigned. For all his faults, Zidane was annoyingly pre-disposed to telling the truth. He could lie exceptionally well when the circumstances called for it, but otherwise he was almost brutally honest in everything he said.

"Oh, nothin' much- just a nice story about a prince giving up his kingdom to be with the one he loved."

The Queen opened her eyes, disbelief clouding her features. "What?"

"The busybody of the court wanted a juicy story to share, so I gave her one," he replied, shrugging. "Oh, there's bits of truth here and there, but I embellished it quite a bit."

The brunette stared at him, words failing her.

"What? You know you couldn't keep me away from the nobles forever and the question was bound to come up eventually. So, I thought of a nice cover story," he explained, still grinning.

"And she actually believed that fairy tale?"

"Hey, I made sure not to get too carried away," he defended, a mock expression of hurt crossing his face briefly. "Besides, like I said, there's a bit of truth throughout it."

"Such as?" the Queen prompted.

The ex-thief looked up at the ceiling as if in deep thought and began counting the number of truths off on his fingers. "Well, let's see. Terra is a land that's far away, they don't like outsiders, it was all I could do to get you out of there the first- and only -time you came, I can never return to Terra again because what I did is basically treason..." He let the sentence trail off, glancing back at his wife. "What can I say? I'm just the kind of guy to leave it all behind for the girl I love. And, I happen to know that the ladies love sappy stories like that. Trust me, she bought it. Hook, line and sinker."

Dagger allowed herself to relax slightly, gratefully realizing the situation was no where nearly as bad as she had feared. "And, what treasonous act did you commit?"

"Why, wanting to marry an outsider, of course," he stated, looking at her innocently.

"Hm, I seem to recall this being a tale about a prince," she remarked, her eyes dancing. Apparently, his playful mood was contagious. "Tell me, how did you get so far up in the hierarchy?"

"Actually, my official 'title' doesn't translate well into your language," he explained, mimicking Edwin's voice and favored stance when giving a lecture. "It is the closest equivalent rank. Garland was the 'man in charge' and I was designed to be his second in command. Logically, if something happened to him, I would have then stepped up and taken his position, assuming all the responsibilities and power that came with it." He relaxed, plopping down into the chair next to his wife. "Doesn't that sound like Crown Prince to you?" he asked.

The Queen laughed, feeling the tension and anxiety that had built up inside her wash away. "Yes, right down to you usurping his throne."

"Hey, that was Kuja, not me!" he replied indignantly. "Although, it was more of a 'usurp then destroy the throne'..."

"Yes, I'm rather surprised we were able to make it out at all."

"Yeah," Zidane agreed in a rare moment of seriousness, recalling the panicked flight from Terra as Kuja literally brought it down around their ears. He shook the memory off, the customary grin returning to his face. "So, can we officially say tonight was a success?"

"Yes, I think so," she agreed, nodding. "I'm not entirely sure how, but it was a success." She pushed herself to her feet, her husband mirroring her movements. "And, I think it would be wise not to push our luck any further tonight."

The King caught the hidden meaning in his wife's words, looking up to meet her eyes. "That roughly translates to 'bedtime,' right?"

"Yes, Zidane. Bedtime."

. . .

To Be Continued

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