A/N: This story was written while listening to Melodies of life the layers of Harmony, the special version of the game version of Melodies of life. This song was the inspiration. It is a gentle piece of music with almost angelic voices.

3-28-05: I edited parts of the story based on a review by Myshu. Thanks!

8-11-05: Rewrote bits of the first chapter, corrected some stuff, working on the fourth and final chapter!

Your voice will remember our melody

Chapter one – A wish unfulfilled

Splendid fireworks lighted the sky, as if Vivi's magic caused a fuss. It reminded Zidane of caressed times that seemed so long ago. The people of Alexandria were truly celebrating the seventeenth birthday of their beloved queen. His journey had been long. Escaping from the Iifa tree hadn't been an easy task. He hadn't been able to save his only brother, yet he himself was saved by his only sister. He felt some irony whilst thinking about it. He let his eyes get distracted from the fireworks as he felt Garnet's eyes burning in his face. He smiled at her smiling face. She had this wonderful smile of pleasure on her face ever since they had embraced earlier that day. Almost immediately after his return and the end of the play, they had gone to her room to talk. He had explained the troubles he had to face coming back to Alexandria.

He had been unconscious in the Black Mage village for quite some time, being cared for by Mikoto and the black mages. He never quite understood why they never bothered to tell anyone he was still alive. It was most likely that they tried to live a sheltered life. As soon as he woke up, he went to Lindblum, to the Tantalus hideout. He had been welcomed with surprised gasps there. He had heard from Blank that it was three weeks till Garnet's birthday. Zidane had decided to surprise her on her birthday, staying in the hideout for those three weeks to heal further and to recover the missing pieces of his memory. They practiced 'I want to be your Canary' and when it finally was Garnet's birthday… They travelled to Alexandria with the rebuild airship and he was the star of the show.

He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him comfortingly. They liked watching the fireworks together.

"You know," she began, fumbling with his belt, "It is exactly one year now." She looked up at him. He seemed confused. She giggled. "I met you… exactly one year ago." Zidane smiled and stroked her long black hair gently. She took his left hand, embracing his fingers with hers.

"And that was the start of the most wonderful time of my life."

She brought his hand to her face and kissed his fingers softly. A burst of energy flew through Zidane's body and remained in his chest. It warmed his lungs, his ribs and his heart. She took some distance from him. Her eyes were so beautiful. Her bangs followed the soft wind carelessly. The wind caused her cheeks to blush. Or was it something else? She laughed nervously. Behind her the air coloured from red to purple. Zidane smiled as he reached forward slowly. Garnet looked at him and closed her eyes as he nearly touched her face. He closed his eyes as his lips brushed hers.

"My queen!"

A loud voice woke them roughly. Garnet retreated, leaving it at no more than a gentle brush. She checked her hair, as if she was pre-occupied with something. Zidane blinked, he was a little startled. It was as if he had been awoken from a pleasant dream. He heard how something heavy and made of iron came in their direction. Up the spiral staircase, past the door…

"Your Majesty!"

Steiner. After all those weeks, Zidane had come to respect him a lot more than he used to, but this was simply not the best time. He let out a deep sigh and walked to the edge of the tower wall. This is where she had jumped down exactly one year ago… Scaring the hell out of him, nearly giving him a heart attack…

"Your Majesty, the people are waiting for you! It is time for your speech!"

Garnet moved her vision from Zidane to Steiner. She nodded slowly.

"Very well."

Steiner moved aside for her.

"Please go down. Beatrix is waiting for you, my queen."

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Zidane turned around to face Steiner who had stayed behind for obvious reasons. There was something he wanted from him. Zidane kept staring at the man, waiting for him to start the conversation. Steiner tried to avoid his eyes. Zidane, becoming impatient, opened up.

"What's wrong?" He asked, it being more of a rhetorical question.

Steiner still moved uneasily but finally took the chance to face Zidane. He seemed to be searching for words. Zidane shook his head and looked down.

"Listen..." Steiner lifted his arms in the air, making some vehement gestures.

"The queen is no match for you."

Zidane brought his hand to his head and shook it in frustration.

"Here we go again. Steiner, I think we have been through this conversation too often already, don't you agree?"

He walked past the older man, only to be stopped by his rusty arm.

"No. Those were different times. Now, everything's changed."

Zidane crossed his arms, still shaking his head.

"Oh yes they have changed Zidane, believe it or not. In your absence, the princess you once knew has grown to become a beautiful queen. She is not the young adolescent girl she once was."

"No? That's strange 'cause that's not how I see her." Zidane shook his head and tried to get past the man again, but Steiner pushed him back against the wall.

"Listen. She can't be the adolescent girl she was anymore. She is a queen. She needs to be an adult. She has to comfort and take care of her people now. She has far more responsibilities than she once had, Zidane."

Zidane let his head sink down. He stared at his feet. His boots seemed so dull compared to Steiner's newly brushed shoes. They shone with all might.

"Zidane…"

Steiner let go of him and stepped back. He looked out over the whole of Alexandria. They could hear Garnet's voice on the background, speaking to her people. Zidane was able to reason with Steiner now and he stepped up next to him. He observed the crowd cheering for their queen. Their queen... Could it be he only now actually heard that word?

"Garnet needs a wealthy husband…"

Steiner spoke silently. He did realise this could strike Zidane hard. He did care for the monkey boy. He had saved her life plenty of times. Steiner had developed a soft spot for this boy.

"Someone who knows what it's like to have power. She needs to be supported by a husband who knows the meaning of politics."

Zidane frowned angrily and looked at him. How dare he… Steiner looked concerned. His words circled round in Zidane's mind. Responsibilities… queen… wealth…Steiner… Why won't you just say it out loud? I'm nothing more than a beggar. I'm no good. Garnet is the diamond and I'm a brick. Why won't you just say it…?

Steiner observed him worriedly.

"I'm very sorry… Regent Cid asked me to tell you this. He's… He's worried… I couldn't bring up anything against it…"

He looked down shamefully. Zidane nodded and spoke with a gentle voice.

"I understand Steiner…"

Steiner looked up, fighting the tears in his eyes. Then he nodded slowly and moved away. Once the door closed, Zidane focused on the civilians again.

He stayed in a hotel near the castle. During his sleep, Steiner's words bothered him. One nightmare after the other hunted him. He saw Garnet jumping from the tower and fall to her death, he saw how she never awoke from her coma, he saw himself burying her. During his dreams, Steiner's, well actually Cid's warnings, kept swarming in his head. He awoke with sweat all over his body. He threw the blankets away and kept lying there, staring at the wooden ceiling.

The party enjoyed breakfast together. Everyone was there. Zidane listened carefully to Freya's story about rebuilding Burmecia and how difficult it had been to make Sir Fratley remember all their memories… He complimented Quina on her good cooking; he watched how Eiko communicated joyfully with Cid and Lady Hilda, her adoptive parents. He noticed how Beatrix and Steiner secretly exchanged their affection. He observed the ever so quiet Amarant as he ate. Garnet kept seeking his attention and affection. He loved her so much that it hurt. It hurt him to not be able to return the affection in the way he should. Sure, when she would smile at him he would smile back happily, when she asked him something he would reply in a gentle way but… She would never be his. She belonged to someone else. Suddenly he lost his appetite. Once she noticed that he had stopped eating, Garnet moved her plate aside too. This caused most of the group to do the same. There was still some smacking coming from Quina's direction.

After breakfast, Freya left. She had to get back to Burmecia because she was needed there and Sir Fratley was waiting for her. Amarant thanked Garnet for her hospitality and saluted a goodbye before leaving for Treno. It was a logical thing for Quina to disappear to Alexandria's kitchen right after breakfast. The only ones left in the great hall were Beatrix, Steiner, some Pluto knights, Eiko, Cid, Lady Hilda, Garnet and Zidane.

Before Garnet could bring out anything, Eiko ran forward and jumped up and down in front of Zidane. This girl really hadn't changed much.

"You'll stay, won't ya?"

"Eiko! Mind your language!" Lady Hilda seemed displeased. Zidane scratched his head. He felt Steiner's eyes burning in the back of his head.

"I uh… I'd better go."

Eiko seemed shocked. Now it was Garnet's turn to run forward. She blocked Eiko's view, making the young lady displeased. The girl tried to look past Garnet, which wasn't that easy.

"Go?"

Garnet looked at him with confusion written all over her face.

"But I thought that I… That we…"

Zidane shook his head.

"I still have a lot to catch up. My bro's need me."

Cid made a relieved sound. He stepped forward.

"Garnet," he began, but Garnet gestured for his silence. She examined Zidane's eyes thoroughly and took him aside.

"Why are you leaving?"

Zidane refused to answer and avoided her piercing eyes. She took his arm and squeezed it softly.

"Why? Tell me." She hissed. She sounded worried.

"Relax," he tried to calm her down.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Then why?"

Zidane looked to Cid. He loathed the man, loathed him for making him do this. He looked at Garnet. Something about her had changed. He had hurt her. And that hurt him. What was he doing? He took both her hands and caressed her fingers with his.

"I'm sorry," he said, "This is for the best." He let go of her and started to walk away. Garnet shook her head in anger.

"I thought we had a future together!"

She nearly shouted it, without that being her intention. She didn't care that everyone had heard it though. Gasps and hasty speech was produced all over the room. Zidane froze. Regent Cid walked to Garnet and calmly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Please dear, it's no use."

She ignored him. She shrugged his hands off her and ran forward to Zidane. She peered in his eyes.

"Zidane!"

He looked at her and lifted his shoulders.

"I'm no good, Dagger," he whispered. Tears appeared in Garnet's eyes at the sound of her nickname. That name had brought her freedom. This was the first time in six months that she heard it again. Before she could deny his words, Steiner intervened, feeling forced to do so because Cid was giving him a warning glare.

"Listen to his wise words, my queen."

Barely noticeable he drifted Zidane away from Garnet.

"You need someone with power and wealth, someone who can help you in times of trouble."

Garnet's face had turned from vanilla to fierce red. She wiped her tears in anger. She turned to her lifeguard.

"Zidane can help me in times of trouble. He has done it before, remember? He has protected me where you could not!"

That hurt. Steiner's grim face became even grayer. Zidane shook his head.

"Dagger, I can't help you anymore. Protecting you is up to your knights now. I'm unnecessary."

She stamped on the floor in frustration. Inside his head Zidane smiled. She used to do that so often during their journey.

"Please, I agree with Steiner. You have to do what is right for your people."

"I cannot believe you are saying this!"

She turned around, giving him the less splendid sight of her back. Zidane reached out to her to grab her hand, but she moved away. Cid tried to rescue the situation.

"My niece… You are barely seventeen years old. You are far too young to be bound to marriage. Marriage is a great undertaking…"

He exchanged a glance with Hilda.

"Just wait a few more years… Till you're older…"

He looked at Zidane and then at Steiner and without Garnet noticing Steiner nodded back at him.

"There is still so much to learn… You two are far too young to get married. You understand, don't you?"

That question was directed at Zidane. He was unsure if Cid meant their secret arrangement or if he actually meant what he said.

"Oh yeah, definitely."

Garnet turned around to face him suspiciously. Zidane bent towards her slightly.

"You see? We just get to hang around a lil' bit until we are older. Then we can do whatever we like."

He tried to sound as happy as possible. He heard a muffled sound coming from somewhere in the room. Looking up he saw Lady Hilda holding Eiko tightly, with one hand against the girl's mouth. Garnet stared at her feet. Her brains were functioning to their fullest capability.

"Wait a few more years… Experience…"

She looked up.

"To do the best for my people?"

Steiner nodded.

"They are most important. I do whatever I can."

She nodded to Cid.

"I agree that now might not be the best time."

Zidane could have sworn that sighs of relief went around the whole castle. He magically made a smile appear on his face as soon as she turned around to him.

"A few years… And then…"

She smiled and swung around his neck. They hugged tight.

"Your Majesty," Zidane made a deep bow with faked pleasure. Garnet giggled and bowed for him. "My noble knight," she answered.

As he walked through the Castle gardens towards the crossing point he gave himself a pat on the back for his excellent acting. She would be safe. A better person than him would take care of her. All was well.