A/N: Don't own it. Probably never will. :'(

...

"Mother…"

Princess Garnet til Alexandros XVII lightly touched the smooth door. She had not imagined it. This time it was real. Something was wrong with the Queen, though she had refused to see it until now. Her mother had changed.

Gathering her courage, she slowly pushed the door open. A strange breeze blew her long dark hair from her face. The princess gathered her skirts and crossed into the room. It's too cold, she thought, hugging her arms around herself.

"Daughter," Queen Brahne stood from her seat in the corner. "What is the matter?"

Garnet tore her eyes from the shadowy figure beside the queen and addressed her mother with a bow. "Who is that man?"

The queen's eyes narrowed, the look not helping her overall picture. She was, in a word, ugly. Her skin was a sickish blue hue, her headdress bushy and her heavy body intimidating. But Garnet never saw her mother in that way. She remembered the woman who smiled as she danced with her in the gardens, the woman who raised her with love. But something was wrong now, something that cast a shadow on her once smiling face…

"He is a friend, darling. We're only talking-."

The figure rose. "My queen, the princess has provided the opportune moment. May I?"

Garnet took a few steps backward. The man—she wasn't sure until the moment he spoke that he was a man—had silky silver hair and such a lack of clothing that would make a barmaid gasp. His flat eyes met hers and she shivered. Brahne placed her large body protectively in front of her daughter.

"Kuja, you will not touch her without my permission!"

He made a flourishing bow. "Forgive me, my queen. I only wish to know if we were successful."

"Enough! We are done here. Leave my presence until you are called for."

The man looked Garnet in the eyes. "Until the next curtain-call, my lady."

The princess cringed against her mother's bulk. This man, Kuja, was unsettling. Neither moved until he had exited. Brahne sheltered her daughter in a brief hug.

When the queen pulled away, none of the motherly softness Garnet craved for was there. The only look in her eyes was an obsessive greed. "How are your studies?"

Garnet looked down at her hands which were clasped in front of her. She knew what the queen was asking for. Every instinct shouted at her not to answer… but she was her mother. "I can feel them, but something keeps me from reaching them."

"You will find a way." Brahne fell silent for a few moments, considering her next words. "How much longer until your birthday?"

"A month, mother." The constant countdown bothered the princess. Queen Brahne only seemed to ask her of the strange powers inside her or the sixteenth birthday these days.

The queen nodded then looked at Garnet. "Very well, you may retire to your rooms."

"Mother…"

"Garnet, you need to keep up your rest."

Stopping herself from arguing further, the princess made a quick bow and left her mother. Something strange was going on and it had to do with that man. She needed help, but no one believed or was willing to aid her. Garnet clenched her teeth but quickly relaxed, once more becoming the perfect princess she was expected to be.

The guards saluted the dark-haired beauty as she swept past, but she ignored them. Her mind was whirling. What possible connection could there be between her powers, her birthday and that strange man?

"Greetings, highness."

Garnet's head lifted at the voice, interrupting her thoughts. It was the man. "Oh, Kuja, was it?" the princess glared at the figure, now shrouded in a billowing cloak. "What are you doing to my mother?"

"Now princess," he chided lightly, wagging a finger at her. "That is hardly royal behavior. As for your question, I am doing nothing to her. She is doing it to herself." He laughed. The sound made Garnet shiver.

"What are you doing here?"

Kuja flicked the hair from his face, every move a dramatic flourish. "The elephant queen doesn't know what is good for her plan." He attempted to stroke the princess's cheek, but Garnet sidestepped his hand. "Enough of this drivel," the man snarled suddenly.

Garnet's scream was cut short as the man grasped her arm. Her body froze; her mouth still open in a silent cry. She tried to move, but her limbs were unresponsive. The princess looked at Kuja in fear. Who was he?

"It pains me to see such beauty in anguish." His hand traced her smooth cheek, slowly moving toward her forehead. "But you are only a tool, and in the end tools are no longer useful."

The princess silently screamed in agony, her mind clawing to regain control of her body. The other presences inside of her roared in retribution, but could not be freed. The man's smile grew as he sensed the struggle.

"All is according to plan." His voice remained soft, but it pierced her like cold steel. "Rest now, little canary. Your part in this tragic play will soon come. Forget your troubles."

Garnet's vision blurred. She felt her body begin to relax from the hold that kept her still. The princess gritted her teeth and punched upward, her fist colliding with the side of his face. Kuja laughed as she sunk further into the deep, dark sleep that overwhelmed her.

The princess lost consciousness and Kuja caught her limp body. "Poor canary," he muttered. "Your cage is closing ever more upon you. Your wings will never spread to fly."

"PRINCESS!" A man who much resembled a tin can rounded the corner. All color fled his face as he saw the strange man holding her limp body. "Unhand her, you fiend!"

"Relax; I only caught her when she fainted. Poor girl."

The Captain retrieved her from the strange man. "I very much doubt that. You!" He turned to another knight by his side. "Send word to the queen and detain this man."

"Sir… He's gone."

The Captain moved, but the man had disappeared. "Search the perimeter! Inform the queen!" He looked down at the limp royal in his arms. The young girl had a frown on her face, a look of distress that froze Steiner's heart. "I will care for the princess."