Lady On A Balcony

Suddenly she steps, wrapped into the wind,
brightly into brightness, as if singled out,
while now the room as though cut to fit
behind her fills the door

darkly like the ground of cameo,
that lets a glimmer through at the edges;
and you think the evening wasn't there
before she stepped out, and on the railing

set forth just a little of herself,
just her hands, -to be completely light:
as if passed on by the rows of houses
to the heavens, to be swayed by everything.

-Rainer Maria Rilke, "Lady on a Balcony"

IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Garnet was well aware that her children were waiting for her to speak.

She paced around the large room, wringing her hands together, strands of hair glittering in the stray light of sunset, filtering in beautifully from the window.

Portraits of the two eldest children, painted years before Jagger was born, seemed to track her every movement, as if they had come alive, with moving eyes. As if they were looking to her in hope, a hope that could only be sustained in a privileged, pleasant, and peaceful past. What would they have thought of her if they could see her now, a complete and utter nervous wreck, totally defeated, somehow failing in her job as a leader, though she had expended all her resources? It was to the point where even Lindblum was stumped on how to help, and upon thinking of this she became light headed and had to take a seat.

Zidane watched those stray strands of her hair floating through the air, as if they were simple dust particles awoken in a minor disturbance. He wanted to pretend he couldn't feel her anguish, her anxiety, but the energy of the room was thicker than anything he'd yet had to endure in his existence.

He imagined how she used to laugh, the honey-laden tone of her voice wafting through the room, plentiful as a canary's song, placing her scone back on the plate and patting her lips, her heels clicking on the floor rhythmically, dancing so freely, weaving in and out of light. He used to watch the dust kick up from the floor and join in the joviality, they would be sipping tea, and conversing about the universe, and relaxing into the beautiful give and take of what was their early years of marriage.

They had been so in love.

He often daydreamed about simpler times, times when they weren't caught up in parenting or another potential war, when they would travel the globe constantly. There was no time, no day or night, no dates. Just the two of them, face to face with endless possibilities. He caught a flash of her expression, when she had seen a wonder of the world for the first time. All too brief, and at once gone.

Now, she's seen it all.

His right hand twitched in an urge to reach out and touch her the way he used to. Garnet rarely wanted to have conversations anymore, let alone be physically intimate, perhaps because of the stress of her pregnancy.

He regretfully turned his head away from his stumbling wife to his bright, yet naïve children.

Zerrick was leaning against a wall near the large window in the front of the room, crossing his arms and looking upon the grounds outside. Crystal was sitting pretty with Jagger in her lap, both quiet, somber, not knowing exactly what they were waiting for. He smiled sadly, warmly, at her. He managed to also break a smile at Jagger, and the little boy smiled back. Zidane looked once again at Zerrick, but he would not look at him.

The queen's breathing started to slow. Zidane could feel her gaining concentration and attracting the right words. She took another few deep breaths, then closed her eyes with unmistakable conviction behind the lids.

"As I'm sure you've all figured out by now, it has been decided to temporarily close off Alexandria's borders to all commoners who are non-Alexandrians. Leopoldine and her team are currently in the process of devising an identification system, while Beatrix and Steiner are figuring out how to secure and foolproof all borders, including the Gargant system, so that nobody can enter without passing through a tight security checkpoint."

She looked first at her husband, then her children, bore into each of them with her gaze.

"…And as I'm sure you all know, that means no visitors unless mandated by royal order, and all current visitors must leave until further notice," Zidane added weakly.

Zidane first checked Crystal's reaction, and it came as no surprise to him when her expression turned up in a wash of sadness and disgust. She took a ruffle of her dress in hand, and clutched hard.

"That means…Fredryck…"

"Yes, he must go back home. To keep him here under our new order would mean that he is a ward, and with such elevated tensions we cannot have anyone from any of the nations thinking that we are keeping a Burmecian hostage."

The princess peered at her mother sternly then. She wanted badly to keep her stance resolutely in letting him stay, but she knew it was no use, and deferred her attention back to stroking Jagger's arm.

"None of this makes sense anymore," Zerrick spoke abruptly, aggressively walking over to his dad. "How did things even get to this point? Neither of you have done anything wrong! All you've ever tried to do was keep the peace…and…and…rebuild nations!"

Zidane shook his head. "I know, son. But we've learned over the years that peace never lasts. And with a new generation, comes new concerns."

"I suppose it is that the new generation thinks we haven't done enough for them, that they're still owed something," Garnet interjected. "We are still not sure if there is anything we can do to dissuade them…or perhaps quell their fears…save from keeping them in check with force and imprisonment. We may have to recruit more soldiers, if so. It is the only way that we can see out of this."

Crystal made it clear that she was vehemently against her parents' unusually negative outlook.

"But this isn't you, mother! Father! None of this! The Zidane and Garnet of old would have never resorted to the submission of their people! We only kill when lives are in grave danger; and we never jail our citizens fir exercising their right to speech and protest!"

"Trust me, dear…it's not what we want, nor what we ever planned for…"

"What she's saying, mom, is that there has to be a better way! Can't we…you know, work out a deal with these resistance people?" Zerrick asked. Crystal nodded in agreement, head darting back and forth between her parents with a pleading expression.

Garnet opened her mouth to speak, entirely hesitant. "You…you know we can't start making deals with the common people. That would make us look like weak rulers, who are easily manipulated with simple violence—

"Easily manipulated with violence?! Like what you're going to employ towards the people?" Zerrick shouted.

"Alright, everyone calm down…you both know that we would never resort to submission tactics unless we deemed it absolutely necessary," Zidane added, waving his hands around in a circular motion. "Beatrix and Steiner have recommended we start using a newfound kind of force on the general population."

"Once you commit to something like this you become a dictator-type ruler! Or a classic monarch! It is absolutely insane—you can't go back from that!" the young prince argued passionately.

Garnet could not handle seeing her children so upset, and burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands. Zidane hurried to her side, kneeling down to start rubbing her back in comfort.

"Mommy! Did Crissy and Zaz make you cry? Why would they do that to you?" Jagger asked, sweetly, innocently.

"This is no conversation for the boy to hear," Crystal decided, throwing him onto her hip and attempting to walk out of the room with him.

"Come back with him!" Garnet snapped through her sobs, reaching her hand out for her youngest son. "Give him to me! He must hear it all!"

The princess whipped around, incredulous. She looked to her father for support. "He's six years old for god's sake! What could he possibly gain from this—save for fear?!"

Zidane didn't reply and instead looked to his wife for the answer. He never talked over her or tried to assert his opinion over hers—she was the queen, after all. Garnet took a deep breath and closed her eyes with a hard swallow.

"I will not hide anything from him…nor shelter him from the world…as my mother did me. Everything will be 100% transparent for him," she explained, reaching out once more. "Give him to me."

Crystal briskly stormed up to her mother and put the small boy in her lap. He wrapped his arms around her neck and clung onto her for dear life, tail flicking, at once trying to kiss all her tears away. This caused for a smile to light up her features for a simple flash, but soon returned to dire seriousness.

"This…this is not a conversation your father and I ever, ever wanted to have with you children. You know that. We simply… genuinely do not see a solution in the near future."

Zidane pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed in to his wife, who wiped her tears away onto its snow-white surface.

"Listen," Zidane began, standing up to face his children. "We have to look at things this way. We're making temporary improvements so that we may affect lasting change. If we don't act quickly, we will be seen as incompetent rulers with no intent to keep our city safe, civil, or organized. By closing our borders, booting out the non-citizens, and subduing anyone who acts out, then we can start to improve the life of Alexandrians. That means no more rebels, no more resistance, or Alexander's Angel's, and Beatrix must retrain the army and guide them into fighting tactics of submission instead of slaughter if we are to avoid casualties. These are things that should have been done years ago. "

"And would you then keep them in a dungeon? Hm? Torture them for information, perhaps?" Crystal quipped cynically. "It's a fate worse than death. Our dungeons are notoriously empty. Aren't you proud of that?"

"Well, killing them certainly isn't working. They keep multiplying, like roaches. If we don't get it under control faster, and find out who they're working for, we're facing a coup. Do you not realize that?" Garnet asked, motioning to her oldest son. "The security and guarantee of your future as the king rests upon us acting now. We must do a complete turn around of our ways in order to rid ourselves of all our skeletons in the closet, the ones we tried to shove away by simply making reparations instead of rooting out enemies of the throne head on."

Zerrick's fists clenched, jaw gripped, veins in his temple thumping. He kicked dust into the air from the carpet he was standing on. "Maybe I never wanted to be king! Did you ever think about that?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Garnet's voice shook, looking at Crystal. "Crystal will not do it as she has a mission in life to become a summoner. Now, do not be a jester. You are more fit to be on the throne because your hobbies are ignoble."

"Ignoble?! How is treasure hunting ignoble? Zerrick defended himself before turning his back to walk out the door like his sister had done moments before. "Damn you and all your conventions, your propriety, the whole lot of it! You don't respect me even a damn trifle!"

"Now hold up there, Zaz!" Zidane hurried after him, grabbing his shoulders and turning him back around. "You know you don't walk out on your mother when she's speaking! Why don't you just hear her out?"

"And didn't you just hear her out?" He snorted. "She just insulted your entire life's work."

Zidane sighed and shook his head. "I haven't treasure hunted in years."

"That's not the point!"

"Well, Zaz, we all have responsibilities now," Crystal deferred, throwing herself down onto a large, plush chair. "We're not going to win this battle, no matter how hard we try with force and violence."

"And you just give up," Zerrick spat. "Closing off our borders will never do the job. It will just enrage the rest of us who truly want to help. Working steadfast to find out where the poison is leaking from IS the answer! It won't just…weed itself out! That's the whole mission of Alexander's Angels!"

Zidane sighed and stamped his foot on the ground. "Ok, seriously, enough you guys! Please…just…trust us that we're doing the right thing, here. Your mother and I have seen far worse than this scenario and we're willing to put everyone in the kingdom to work to make sure this doesn't escalate. But we absolutely need your cooperation."

"No more Alexander's Angels. You're just going to have the army take over." Crystal said in a voice void of any tone. "Do you really believe we can trust Beatrix to do the right thing by her people? With her track record?"

Garnet nodded her head. "I have more trust in her than a thousand of Alexander's Angels. In the years past, she has done nothing but prove her loyalty to me and her people, steadfast."

The older sibling chimed in once more. "Well, maybe it isn't her you should worry about. It's hotheads like Lilia, god love her soul…people that join the army for the glory of bloodlust."

"I do not see such in Lilia. She simply wants to please her parents and prove to them that she is enough," Garnet continued. "And I believe our soldiers all have Alexandria's best interest in mind as well."

Crystal got up to leave. No one tried to stop her as she placed a hand on the golden door handle. She rested her hand there briefly, drumming on it with curiosity, then turned around to look her father square in the eye.

"You…have taken advice from Kajal. I see it in your eyes, in your skin, it pours from your yellowing complexion like the pus of an infection, the poisons he has already managed to pollute and warp your brain…by this method, he ensures that he can distract people and protect them from their problems long enough to turn their gazes at him and worship him in all he stands for…if you do not see the power and greed inherent in him, much like his father, then I cannot advise any further."

She pulled the door open, intent on leaving, when she heard a sheepish noise from her father that stopped her in her tracks.

"You…you aren't giving him enough credit…we need to be believing the best in people now, not being suspicious of everything good that seems to be coming our way…"

"He has not earned credit. Or respect. An age old principal that I think you two have been so quick to forget," she answered, before taking her escape, shutting the door behind her softly as she could manage.

IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

It had been a bad habit of Leopoldine's to crack her knuckles before practicing piano, but for some reason it had, historically, put her in the zone. Not one to break tradition within herself, she stretched out and cracked them, before placing them expertly on the keys, like old hat. She wracked through her brain's catalogue of her favorite warm up songs, and felt exactly which one she would be in the mood for. She moved her position to match the chords, and started playing, a tune that felt like flowing water to her. No resistance. Only allowance, calm.

Her fingers danced up and down the keys of the old piano effortlessly, perfectly in tune, never once missing a beat or a note. The classical tune was certainly not an easy one to play, but as usual, Lea paid respect to the song in both perfect technique and feeling.

It was her only time away from the horrors that had plagued her waking life since Garnet's decision to close the kingdom's borders. She dug into the keys and swayed back and forth, eyes secured shut in trance, as if she would never get to play the beloved instrument again.

Unbeknownst to her, the queen regent stood watching, bemused, from the center balcony of the Grand Theater. She had snuck in unnoticed, but it wasn't Lea's fault for not noticing she was being spied upon. Even as a girl, she always had a penchant for slipping past barriers and guards. She drummed her fingers on the banister as she tried to follow along with her own sub-par piano skills, and found she could not keep up. Once the music let up, she paused before bringing her hands to a slow clap, jarring Lea out of her trance. The younger woman scanned near the ceiling, first shock, then anger overcoming her features.

"Une barque sur l'océan…Ravel. I must say, I am impressed that you have such an obscure, yet difficult tune in your repertoire."

Lea snarled at her, placing her hands back on the keys. She focused on the lacquer of the piano, wishing nothing more than for her to go away.

"You haven't yet heard me play Liszt's Transcendental Etudes in its entirety…" Lea mumbled, the thought of walking right out of the theater a great temptation to her. "Why are you here? I'm sure you currently have business to attend to with the queen."

"And I should have business with you, save for the fact that you refuse to see me," Eiko shouted down, Lea already knowing of the grin on the older woman's face.

"Well, may I now request that you leave here? I am about to practice for Queen Garnet's last international concert before we…close our borders. Do you mind? I cannot have distraction."

Eiko cast float on herself and glided down from the balcony to the walkway. Lea watched her descend gracefully until her feet hit the stage with a soft pat. Lea rolled her eyes and began to close the lid on the keys.

"I suppose I will have to practice another time—

"No, you will stay right here and listen! We must put our grievances behind us if we will ever solve this problem, yes?" Eiko insisted as she grabbed her right hand, Lea recoiling in shock.

"Excuse—me!" Lea shrieked, but Eiko did not relent.

"No, listen. Your thoughts on Kajal, have they changed at all?" Eiko asked, eyes now burdened with the grand nag of seriousness. Lea could tell it was something that really bothered her.

"I…I do not know what to think of him," Lea admitted, averting her gaze. "He, like yourself, loves to sneak around and listen to me play while I am unsuspecting. But, the king and queen seem to trust him."

"And I would only do so if he makes nice on his promise, but he hasn't delivered quite yet," Eiko admitted, letting go of the younger girl's hand. "What am I to do but seek counsel from the cleverest person in Alexandria?"

Lea couldn't help from rolling her eyes again. She pushed her stool outwards and stood up, trying to make a quick exit backstage.

"You expect me to just let you go, without speaking?" Eiko questioned as she tailed her, incredulous. "What happened between us…it was—

"Nothing?" Lea finished, flipping around and cocking an eyebrow. "Yes, I caught that. Now please…let me go."

Eiko tried to grab after the cape storm that followed the young woman, but her attempts were futile. She was unusually agile for someone of her frame.

"Now, Lea! Don't be such a sourpuss!"

"It's Lady Steiner to you, if you could be so kind! I don't know what you want me to say to you," Lea defended, finally exiting the stage door into the back hallway of the theater, her heavy steps echoing.

"I want you to help me find out what this Kajal is really after!" Eiko exclaimed, desperately grasping at Lea's arm to get her to listen. Lea caught her mid grab, and began to twist her wrist, baring into her horrified gaze.

"Get your boundaries in check. I am not one to use your physical force on. I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out yourself, Your Majesty. Now please…stop following me."

"No!" Eiko insisted, wriggling away from the young girl's grip. "I will not relent! I need your researching skills to figure out some history pertaining to this man…"

"And what do I look like…some super sleuth? Go hire a detective."

"I already have. Nothing has come up in the search…" Eiko admitted, scratching her head in confusion. "In fact, there's no background on him at all. It was wiped clean. He's a man that lives off the grid."

Lea's lip twitched as she looked at the ground, a hard look of concern now shrouding her features.

"Well…if he is who he says he is, and born in the right circumstances…then he should have full records of his birth and life available…"

"I even searched his proclaimed birth name. Still nobody that remotely fits the profile!" Eiko insisted, pulling some papers out of her blouse, waving them in her face. Lea grabbed the papers harshly from her and scanned them, before returning focus, confusion evident.

"You don't think that he paid to have his record cleared? Perhaps he was never registered as a baby…" Lea reasoned, pacing, her hand absent-mindedly stroking her chin. "And besides, this wouldn't hold up in court, really…and it does nothing to carve out his intentions. Any child of Kuja would want to be kept anonymous for a multitude of reasons. Not the least of those being a devilish agenda or ambition."

"He could have just kept his birth name and rode out his life as it were…hid his tail and nobody would have had to know," Eiko said through gritted teeth. "I just find it strange that for someone with nothing at all to hide…there's no basic birth record."

"Well, I insist," Lea said, handing it back to her forcefully and continuing her walk down the hall, "that it would not hold up in court. So it was a useless endeavor to gain this information in the first place."

Lea quickened her pace still, but Eiko was about 4 inches taller so it wasn't hard for her to keep up.

"You're not understanding what I'm getting at! I don't want to convict him in a court of law—that ship has already sailed. I want to catch him in his tracks before it is too late!" Eiko insisted, waving her hands empathically.

"And how do you propose we do that, hm?"

"We do our research! Some spying around! Find out what he's after then catch him in the act!"

Lea whirred around again, this time very visibly angry.

"And who really has time for that?! Are you going to hire another investigation team?"

"No! You and I are going to put our minds together and scope this guy out! I just know he's hiding something that we can uncover!"

Lea remained utterly unconvinced. Eiko sighed and bit her lip, jitters overhauling her body. She paced around the hallway.

"Hear me out, I say! I can stay in Alexandria castle as long as I'd like…after all, I am Queen Regent of Lindblum, and as you well know, can do whatever it is I well please. My job will be that of spy…and yours, of sleuth."

She turned to gauge Lea's reaction, who merely blinked.

"You're familiar with the lay of the library, are you not?"

"Quite," Lea replied, tone still riddled with skepticism.

"Good, yes. Then you will be able to find some texts on both Gazian Monks and the people of Terra—since those texts now exist?"

"Y-Yes…but I'm not sure we'd be able to find much information on the latter. My father and the others did not save any books from the planet, and so we are limited to those that were left on The Invincible."

"And how many do you suspect were left?" The queen regent asked eagerly, moving close to the young Steiner woman, studying her face and its many lovely intricacies. She couldn't help it—she'd been dying to get close to her since they day they kissed. Lea got lost in the moment as well. Once she realized how long she had been staring into Eiko's sapphire blues, she shook her head and stepped away, enforcing her boundaries once more.

"Um…perhaps…50?"

"More than enough!" Eiko confirmed, clapping her hands together in joy. "I swear to you, we can do this, with just a little research…"

"You never told me what it is I am to research!" Lea combatted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh! Yes, we will be diving into the specific histories of both cultures…it may give us clues as to what he's after…because really, what context…or view on the world, does he have if he was raised in Esto Gaza?"

Lea thought on these words for a moment. "It would certainly have to be a pious one…though monks are known to be quite worldly from all the reading they do…"

Eiko shook her finger. "Yes! However, too much reading and not enough living, plus isolation…could be a concoction for grave danger from any individual. Just ask my grandpa. The man went quite insane before his death."

Lea felt no choice but to concur. She signaled that she agreed, but still had more questions.

"I may be limited on time here, as we are a very kingdom busy right now …but there is one more thing I must ask you…why not enlist the help of Crystal? She is a known bookworm and might be more suspicious of Kajal than even I."

Eiko's expression was alight with humor. "You think I would involve someone so close to the queen? As angry as she may be, she's still the princess. She would be best not involved in this one, and kept safe at that."

Lea squeezed her eyes shut, and pursed her lips.

"Where…do I even begin?"

"Start with the books from the invincible. They may give you some insight into what he may be after, if it is truly Gaian, Terran…or simply Genome related."

"But what are the chances of that?' Lea asked, exasperated. "I feel like we are going in blind."

Eiko smirked, then shimmied into Lea's personal space once more.

"I think you'll be surprised at what you'll uncover."

She gave the younger woman a sultry look up and down her body before prancing, head held high, down the hallway.

"W-Wait! You said you will play spy. Will you be frequenting the kingdom more often?!" Lea asked in hesitancy, voice shaking, afraid of the answer. Eiko turned around dramatically and winked at her.

"I will come and go as I please."

With that, she exited the theater. Lea rolled her eyes and decided to go back to the stage to practice her craft. She knew she was going to need its healing powers after a conversation with the queen regent.

IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

"WELCOME TO OUR 74TH ANNUAL FESITVAL OF THE HUNT!"

The crowds for the festival had become massive in recent years. People traveled far and wide just to witness the slaughter of vicious monsters, providing them an outlet for all their pent up frustrations with the world. Once the introductions began, they had always run rampant with screaming and whistling until every single one of their voices gave out.

It was Lilia's favorite day of the year.

The rules varied a bit from previous years; nowadays everyone began in the Business District, followed by the Industrial and Theater Industrial Districts. It granted a more competitive edge to the game, where people were slighting each other, and even fighting each other, for game. Once every monster was slain in one district, they all race to the next. Prizes ranged from gil to special equipment and armor.

The general's daughter was first in line, as reigning champ from the previous year. In honor of the hunt, she donned an entirely different uniform, an outfit that one could hardly call a uniform at all. She dressed herself in a black, loose-fitting halter top that showcased her abs and arms, tight pants, sleek black boots, simple black gloves with the fingers cut out, and a ribbon-tied choker to adorn her neck. She was free of her gauntlets and plates. It was all about agility with the hunt.

Of course, with a sword in her hand she was tall enough and muscular enough to appear menacing, but her choice of style led some of the men beside her to snigger at her. In turn, she sized up the competition, scoffing once she realized that almost all of them were losers, shorter than her with rusty swords, daggers, most of them dirty with yellowing teeth, some well known bounty hunters with their reputations on the line. It was frowned upon for anyone from the Alexandrian army to participate in such a rough, un-chivalrous event, but Lilia didn't care. She couldn't resist a good fight, and loved winning.

Shoving the small amount of insecurity she had aside, she contorted her body so she could see farther down the lineup. At the opposite end, Zerrick, Fredryck and Bentley stood waiting, as they do every year, but one new figure struck an electrical zip of worry through her chest and down her gut.

Kajal had decided to participate this year. He was waiting on his intro, hands behind his back, unmoving, serene as anyone in the line. Lilia snarled in his direction, and turned her attention back to herself. She had tried to avoid any extra conflict at the castle (her mother's strict orders), so she went nowhere near him in fear that she would be yearning to pick a fight. Like many, she was hard pressed to trust him.

Trying to shake off his presence, her ears perked up as she heard the microphone static, and began warming the soles of her feet up on the cobblestone, as mimicking a racehorse.

"AAAAAND FIRST UP," the announcer shouted through a magic microphone, waving to a hoard of giggling ladies, "OUR REIGNING CHAMP OF LAST YEAR'S EVENT. THE INFAMOUS, THE BEAUTIFUL,THE DEADLY…LILIA STEINER!"

Lilia stepped forward and shook both her free hand and sword in the air, giving a healthy vocal roar towards her competition for extra intimidation.

Watching from the curved bridge above were her parents, the royal family, Lea, Freya, Fratley, Claudia and the old Tantalus crew. Zidane had received complementary sake to sip on during the hunt, and Beatrix, clinging tightly onto the railing in nervousness, reached over with a "pardon me" and took a wild swig.

"Whoa! Beatrix, what's the matter with you? You never drink, let alone out of someone else's cup!" Zidane announced, confused at the random occurrence.

Baku took a few large gulps from his mug of beer.

"It's about time these Alexandrian soldiers let loose for once. GWAHAHAHA!"

Blank and Ruby exchanged glances sheepishly, and Marcus proceeded to facepalm.

The general shook her head, bouncy silver curls flying wildly.

"She…she doesn't have any armor on. Not a layer of it. Should she be ambushed or even killed at any moment by any…I don't know, rabid monster or begrudged person, how are we to go on, then?" she explained, clinging tighter to the railing and looking to Steiner for some support. She knew well she wasn't going to get any. There he stood, proud as punch, looking down upon the glorious being that was his daughter.

"Do not fret, Trixie! Look on—how she intimidates them!" he pointed out, hands balled into proud, waving fists. The general glared at him for calling her that in public. He shook off the slip of tongue with his gestures. "She's simply a masterpiece…built tall and strong for combat! Of course she should show the world what she's got. It's in her blood!"

"Yes, darling, but look at her closely, now. Exposed skin everywhere! For a man that is so unmistakably fitted with his own armor, you'd think you would be a tad worried!" Beatrix insisted, tempted to leave the bridge altogether and hide in the castle until the event was over. "Even if she doesn't die, she could risk magic-resistant infection, or even worse, she could fall into another delirium!"

"Beatrix," Garnet reassured gently, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder, "I think Lilia can handle herself at this time. It is clear to me that she has no match in this game, so there's no real risk for any of that. And the beasts? Easy for her."

The two women looked lovingly at her each other, and Garnet did her best to convey her assured nature to the hurting woman.

"I know it's hard seeing her out there, doing some risky things. But that's just who she is in the world. And she's one lucky girl, too, remember that!"

Zidane nodded and threw an arm around his wife.

"Dagger's right. Lilia's been through far more dangerous things, and while she's been down on her luck, too! And, to be fair," He sized up the young Steiner girl, and shrugged, "I think she looks pretty darn lucky to me!"

None of these words comforted the general. She signed, shook her head, and laid her arms down at her side.

"Well if I sense even the slightest bit of an unsavory situation, I'm intervening."

She patted the Save the Queen at her side, confident that even in her old age she could take on anyone or anything in the game. Steiner put his arm around her and stroked her cheek affectionately.

"As will I. I would never stand by to watch any true danger befall her."

"You encouraging her to behave in this way is letting danger befall her. But please, you need not heed my counsel..." Beatrix muttered, wishing she had never let Lilia become a solider at all, exasperated that it wasn't so easy to discharge her.

Lea glanced up from one of the Terran books she was struggling to translate, and tried to comfort her mother as the others did, but was more amused at her worries than anything. She knew Lilia to be far more capable than they often gave her credit for.

"Mother, if worst comes to worst, I'll just start playing a song so everyone falls asleep. The end." She secretly wondered if Eiko was watching from somewhere more private and luxurious.

"Ah, but perhaps she should worry!" Freya joked, nudging Fratley, who remained stoic as ever. "Our Frederyck has had some of the very best training in the land!"

"Don't even joke about that, sugar! I don't wanna be around the day Lilia finds out she loses in….anything, really…" Ruby contemplated, scratching her head. She turned to Blank and whispered in his ear. "Maybe we shoulda stayed home, darlin'. I think Sapphy is mighty bored…"

Sapphira's ears perked up in response. She was busy licking an ice cream cone that Marcus bought her. "Mom! I'm not bored! I wanna watch Bentley fight!"

Cinna, who was standing next to Lea in quiet, glanced over her shoulder at what she was parsing out. "Say Lea, whatcha reading there? I can't even make out the words…what language is that?"

Offended at his nosiness, she slammed the book shut.

"It's nothing. Just brushing up on more ancient music, written in runes."

Curiously, Zidane turned his head to take a look at the cover. He recoiled, realizing he could read the text. He opened his mouth to ask her why, when they announced Zerrick as a competitor. He turned his attention back to his son, but stored the question in his mind for later.

"YEAH, ZAZ! YOU GO BEAT 'EM ALL! SWIPE 'EM SO FAST, THEY WONT KNOW WHAT HIM 'EM!"

He looked back at Lea once more, thinking that maybe he'd just imagined what he'd saw, and noticed that Lea had disappeared, along with the book.

"Hey! Where did Lea go?" He asked Claudia, who wasn't paying attention.

Claudia was beaming at Zerrick when asked. Without much thought, she said, "Oh! Well, I don't know. She must've wandered off to get a better view or something."

"Nah, she doesn't give a rat's ass about any of this stuff…"

He looked over both his shoulders. When he couldn't immediately find her, he gave up, assuming she was capable of protecting herself. He knew that if Crystal noticed she was gone, she would get nervous. Lea was her rock.

Crystal seemed to be lost in her own world. While she always enjoyed the festival of the hunt, this year she just couldn't seem to focus on it. She was completely zoned out, her consciousness just looming above lucid, untouched in her own wild daydreams. But they weren't ones that pleasured her senses with joy and fantasy. They were riddled with anxieties and great perils. The presence of Kajal in her life totally threw her off balance, her horn burned and ached all day, and living through her condition had been nothing short of a nightmare. She could only escape in sleep, and even that was unsure.

The Queen noticed her daughter's glum demeanor, and fret for her, knowing exactly how she was feeling. She tried to put an arm around the girl to comfort her in all her confusion and anger, but she refused to be touched at all.

"Come now. Won't you at least enjoy the show, dear?"

Crystal shook her head. "I…can't. I don't understand how you and father can just sit around and act like nothing is about to happen, as we stand here on this bridge, knights all around us like we're paranoid someone may try and assassinate us at any time, and you know why! It's because what you're doing is totally wrong!"

Garnet looked around, noticing all the soldiers present, including Diana and Lexa, both standing sternly by her side. They were listening in.

"Please, can we discuss this after?"

"There's never a good time to discuss it anymore," the princess quipped.

No more time remained for them to squabble, as the final horns sounded for each fighter to get in their position.

"CONTESTANTS…ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…GO!"

The gongs were struck, and the contestants immediately took off, dashing toward the large pen that had monsters flooding out of it. Lilia, of course being faster than every other contestant, got to the first monster, a Zaghnol. It swung at her furiously, mindlessly, while she leaped into the air, wasting no time piercing into its brains with her broadsword. Blood spattered on her arms and abs, and she jumped out of the way just in time for the beast to fall before her feet. The crowd cheered for her, but she wasted no time in paying them mind; she needed to remain in the lead.

Eiko had been watching from some obscure balcony in one of her castle towers that overlooked the Business District. She didn't much enjoy making her presence known to the common people unless it was of utter importance, and preferred the safety of her private spaces in such intense political climates. She had to break it to Garnet: she was brave in numerous ways in which she herself, was not.

She sipped her blood red wine, amused at the meaningless slaughter of the hunt. She jumped when she suddenly heard footsteps behind her. Expecting that it was one of her guards bringing her requested next glass, she turned around with her hand outstretched, only to find it was grabbed and tugged behind her.

"What in the world?!"

Lea stood behind her, wasting no time in her demands, and pressed and irresistible kiss to the queen regent's lips. Their plump, fleshy bits mashed around each other's; hotly, intensely, breath and saliva mingling, tongues courting. Eiko pulled the woman's face in hard, and she responded in kind by grabbing her hips and digging her nails in through the fabric.

She could no longer resist the urge…

The young warrior kicked a competing man to the side in order to take his kill from him. The rabid bird circled her head; then dived. Lilia caught it in the neck and brought it death. She looked over her shoulder at that moment to see Kajal standing there, fireball floating gently above his hand, darkened by his sneer.

It was too easy to say yes…

It was a sensation she had never felt before, but dreamed, longed to experience. Cold digits shocked her from the warmth of her trance, livening her response to the conflicting sensations…warm and cool, wet and dry. After moments of teasing, the queen regent slipped inside her pants.

They'll take you for everything you are…then throw you away.

She had to have the upper hand. There were no ifs, ands, and or buts. She drop-kicked a man in the gut, and spun around to slay the rabbit-type beast that had flung itself her way. She caught a glimpse of Kajal burning a wolf alive. His fire shimmered like a coveted artifact. The dog screamed in agony.

We don't know the truth until it's too late…

Lea turned Eiko around, slammed her against the balcony bars. Acutely, she wondered if someone, somewhere, was watching them. She was never one for scandal, but was certainly one for reciprocation. She journeyed her way into Eiko's underclothes, and combed her fingers through bright purple hair, feeling the slight wetness present upon entrance. She teased her outer folds and glided along them, softly, but with pressure. Eiko threw her head back in eager ecstasy, Lea kissing the crook of her neck sweetly in response. Their breathing grew heavier. She begged for penetration, and Lea obliged her with one long, slow motion. They moved in tandem together as Lea made love to her with novice, yet sincere fingers, using the bottom side of her palm to pleasure Eiko's more sensitive bits. The older woman began to moan, and eventually, squeal loudly into the creeping dusk.

And I have failed my people.

She found herself in Theater District. She performed a backflip, and twirled through the air like the gymnast she was, her sword meeting with another monster as she hit the ground. She felt her pulse in every pressure point on her body. Her face was matted with sweat, pulsating on the verge of heatstroke, and she was beginning to feel fatigued. She made a point to look around for Kajal, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she saw Frederyck make two kills in one swing of his lance. Confused at how he could both register two enemies at once and make a kill so fast, she checked the large digital clock and scoreboard that projected into the sky from the new Invincible that hovered over the city. She had merely minutes left, and she was only in the lead by one kill, Fredryck trailing her. In a moment of panic, she searched the perimeter for just one more monster, any monster that she could kill to secure her win.

There was only a minute left.

Right then, she spotted it. Another Zaghnol, charging toward her, hooves pattering against the cobblestones with such angry force that the warrior could have sworn she'd seen smoke come out of its nose. She and Fredryck's heads snapped towards each other, both having their eyes on the prize. The score was even, as he had just slayed the other remaining monster.

"So my father trained you well, eh?" Lilia taunted, trying to get him to lose focus.

"Hardly. The training I received in Burmecia has far superseded your father's methods," the dragoon commented, eyes now on the monster.

"I doubt that. Get fucked, rat," Lilia spat cruelly before she charged toward the beast, hand on the hilt, ready to draw at the perfect moment. She noticed Fredryck keeping speed with her, and realized that the winner of the hunt was going to be whoever ran the fastest.

She was so sure she was going to win at that moment that she smiled, and began to lift her sword out of its sheath gleefully…

Right before she drew, the Zaghnol went up in flames before her very eyes. She skid in her tracks and came to a halt. The beast screeched while it burned alive. Horrified, she looked over at Fredryck, who appeared just as confused as she was.

Standing beside the monster was Kajal, basking in the glory of his kill. The horns sounded for the end of the hunt, and Lilia whipped around to look at the scoreboard. She and Fredryck were still tied.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Lilia demanded as she stepped forward, waving her left fist in the air. Kajal creeped up behind her, and dared put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch, as she hate being touched.

"I apologize my dear, I couldn't resist those extra points…"

She glared at him, incredulous. She whipped her head back toward the leaderboard, and saw the points add to Kajal's name, but he was still only in second place.

"We're…tied for first…" Lilia spoke, agitated. Fredryck gave her no indication of caring, and waited for the results of how the judges would decide on the winner. Both stood there, still as statues, listening intently for the voice of the announcer.

"…THE JUDGES HAVE DECIDED TO BREAK THE TIE BASED ON MERIT…WHILE LILIA STEINER DISPLAYED UNPARALLELED SKILL AND SPEED, WE ARE ANNOUNCING OUR WINNER AS FREDRYCK FRATLEY FOR HIS NUMBER OF KILLS AND GREAT PERSISTENCE AGAINST THE TOUGHEST BEASTS! CONGRATS TO FREDRYCK! YOU CAN CLAIM YOUR PRIZE AT ANY TIME IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICT!"

Frederyck began high-jumping across the space in his joy. Lilia remained mortified for a moment, before throwing her sword onto the ground and demanding answers.

"What?! That's…that is impossible! Nobody worked the field out there like I did! NOBODY!"

She stomped away to the tram to return to the business district to plead her case. Fredryck noticed her attitude immediately, and landed to scold her.

"You're a sore loser and a brat, Lilia! GROW UP."

Paying him no mind, she fled into the station. Kajal creeped up and stood next to him, shaking his head at the hot-headed young girl.

"That one…she'll always be the problem child, won't she?"

IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

The Annual Alexandrian Ball put everyone out into a tizzy.

It was nothing short of a frenzy for the royals and nobles, the latent sounds of whispers penetrating with every echo down hallways, love letters sent, the curling of hair and powdering of faces, the inquiries of dress, the spray of the finest perfume.

It wasn't such fun for the knights or guards. Lilia was sent the assignment merely days before, and she felt the stand-and-guard aspect of knighthood was for sissies. Nevertheless, she stood guard over Garnet's left shoulder on the balcony of the ballroom, hand over her hip in simple virulent sass, not dissimilar to her mother's fashion.

Her mother and father were allowed, and even required by the queen, to attend. But they loved it. It was the one day out of the year where they felt they could get loose and have some fun. It's not that they put down their swords (they would never dare), but every year they went just as hard as everyone else in the kingdom; extravagant dresses, wild jewelry, and Beatrix even let herself have a few glasses of red wine while Steiner looked on worriedly, voluntarily sober.

Lilia peered down upon them entering the ballroom, arm in arm, eliciting an applause from current company. Lea, who elegantly donned a black dress with lace sleeves, neck accented by an onyx choker and her simple straight black hair, turned around, glass of Champagne in hand. She curtseyed to them.

Both girls had to admit that their mother looked nothing short of extravagantly beautiful. Her silvering chestnut curls were left down as always, but the front pieces of her hair were tied back with an elegant diamond clip. This year's dress may have been her best ever. Silky red, mermaid-cut, almost like a nightgown, with a slit down the side and plenty of cleavage on display. She accented the dress with white gloves and glass heels. Steiner gazed over her body with adoration, and spun her around so the room could witness every inch of her beauty, never fading even in middle age.

Steiner appeared more or less average. He simply bothered to put on armor of higher grade (synthesized from Hades many years ago) and took off his cap, showing his own head of thick, salt and pepper hair. Beatrix made some lapel of a crease in his armor, and it held three small, red roses. Lea approached them with approving expression.

"I think you two have cleaned up nicely this evening," she noted with sarcastic understatement, watching the nobles approach the two to chat. She was ready for any question they were to throw at her parents, and would fervently defend them at all costs.

Lilia sighed and turned her head to the other side of the ballroom below. Fredryck and Crystal had snuck away from the crowds, the princess needing the time away from Bentley, who was already too drunk to notice that she had left. The knight guessed that Crystal was getting some of her last words in before the Burmecian was sent home for good.

She smiled at the thought. The sight of him made her ill. Who did he think he was, walking around like he owned the place, mocking her in his victory? It seemed, to her, everyone was mocking her nowadays.

Just as she stewed in this notion, she caught sight of Kajal below, quarantined to a corner near Beatrix and Steiner, watching the crowd. He must have felt her eyes on him, as he looked up with a ready grin, one which Lilia rebuffed in her hatred of him. She had a weird feeling that tonight was the night he was going to try and say something to her…

Out of nowhere, Eiko appeared behind her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Geez! Why is everyone touching me lately?!" Lilia asked, moving to the side to try and shrug off her hand. The queen regent rolled her eyes.

"Please, Lilia, calm down. I wanted to see how you were holding up here, and if you needed anything from me."

Lilia's face contorted, sour. "Um…no, I think I'll be ok, thanks…"

Eiko shrugged. "Just making sure, dear." She sauntered over to the front of the balcony and exchanged long winded pleasantries with Garnet before exposing herself to the crowd.

She wore a dress as purple as her hair, encrusted with thousands of amethysts over every inch. She raised both hands in the air, anticipating applause, which duly came. Lea was interrupted from conversation by the clapping and turned to see, what she thought, was the most beautiful woman on Gaia.

Shortly after the shock, she realized who it was. Her face paled, and she quickly turned back to her parents. Her father was oblivious as usual, but Beatrix noticed how her daughter became sallower by the seconds. She didn't ask what was wrong, because her mother's intuition already told her everything she needed to know.

"Lea, darling, do not look back behind you…" Beatrix said quietly, looking down at the floor and back up to the balcony with swift eyes. Lea, of course, did not heed her warning and took another glance.

Standing next to her was her absentee husband, Douglas Carrey, regent of Lindblum. Together they stood, his hand snugly on her hip, both smiling and waving at the wild crowd below. He was a very tall man, about as tall as her own father, and he towered over the woman. He was a very amiable looking man, with medium brown hair and light brown eyes. He had a lot of friends, and came from a very wealthy Lindblumese family. Eiko claimed he was always on public relations trips, to keep Lindblum the world's #1 nation, and it wasn't so hard to believe. Lea lasered in on his pearly whites, and it felt like a spear had skewered her in the stomach. Eiko didn't even look her way, and was purposefully ignoring her.

Beatrix had seen it coming. Her daughter excused herself outside just as the music began, and it was the cue for Zidane, Garnet, Eiko and Douglas to come and dance with the other royals. They left their throne behind, and got into position for the traditional Alexandrian Waltz. She and Steiner had done the same, and commenced their practiced waltz. Crystal danced with Bentley, and Zerrick with Claudia.

Lilia almost envied them, dearly missing Alexandrian dance more than she ever thought she would. She crossed her arms and sighed, but caught glimpse of Kajal walking up the grand staircase before her. Her nervousness permeated the surface, and her heart began to pound.

"W-What…do you want?" Lilia asked, trying very hard to keep her cool.

"I'm…simply…bored! I need to talk to someone interesting in this room full of…well…wet blankets…"

Lilia scoffed. "And what exactly makes you think I'm interesting?"

Kajal shrugged, and propped himself against a wall opposite her.

"I can just tell. You don't allow others to think for you…or tell you what to do, or tell you how to behave…it's quite admirable, I think."

"Well, you're wrong. Because look at me—here I am!" She threw her hands up in a mocking way. "Doing what I'm told, yeah?"

"Yes, but at the same time, it's what you want. You want to be here, you want to be a knight."

Lilia was quiet for a few minutes, but felt compelled to speak to him, somehow.

"But it's not really what I've always had in mind when I wanted to become one. I'd see my mother and father fight nobly, yet so strongly and with such precision. They were such an inspiration to me…"

Kajal thought on her words, his dull, pale complexion shining golden in the light. He mused on the dancing people below.

"That's the bulk of their life. Standing and guarding. Adulthood is not all fun and games, you know."

"I live for the battlefield…" Lilia sighed.

"But there's a downside to every job, my dear," Kajal said, and Lilia was listening most intently. "Have you ever thought that maybe…this isn't quite…the path for you?"

Lilia shook her head violently. "No! Being The General, like mother, is all I've ever wanted!"

Kajal made it clear of his skepticism, and pushed himself off the wall. He leaned into her. "You only think you want it because that's all you've ever known."

This was the first time anyone had ever questioned Lilia's motives for wanting to become a knight.

"Shut up. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Kajal asked, seemingly earnest. "I lived my life for a long time, thinking I wanted one thing…but it was really that I wanted something else. What is it that so binds you to…battle…or dare I say it, death?"

The young warrior pouted, her mouth pressing evermore south. But she couldn't find the answer. Was it really that she enjoyed killing people?

"I…I…suppose…" Lilia started, unsure of herself for the first time in a while. "I…think I…love the adrenaline rush."

"Ah, yes, an honest answer," Kajal appeased her, bowing to her. "But…what happens when this gets old, and the adrenaline turns into anxiety? Anxiety will lead to indecision, doubt…and even…hatred, if you will."

"It will never get old! It didn't for my parents!" she was quick to rationalize, fist held to her chest.

"But look! Your parents now!" Kajal insisted, getting close to Lilia and pointing them out. "They are happy now, no? Happier than they usually are."

The young knight looked down, watching her dad follow her mother around the ballroom. She was laughing, perhaps a bit drunk on wine, bit when did she ever really laugh? And he was holding this wide grin, something he rarely ever did. He was always nervous when she drank, but somehow he always learned to have a good time at the ball.

"It's because they are free. Being an Alexandrian soldier…or the Captain of the Knights of Pluto…or even being the general. It's a life of pure servitude, and very little action, or fun."

Lilia finally stared into his appalling white face, something she had resisted before. She noticed it was a strangely hairy face, as if covered in an abundance of peach fuzz. She noticed his eyes, alight with blue, same as the Gaian moon. His lips were pallad, but also so sure when they spoke. She looked down at her hands, flexing them. They didn't seem real to her at all.

"But..they must be happy. Somehow. Else they wouldn't have stayed here."

He pointed at them again. "They're happy because they have each other. See how they pull together energetically, like magnets? They're no doubt soulmates. And for that, they trudge through their tragic lives together, leaning on one another, supporting one another. The classic tale of yin and yang. It also helps that they actually care about the queen, enough to want to protect her, as parents might."

He turned back to look at her, and smiled sweetly.

"And they have you girls. They feel that they truly live to make sure you two are happy. They are good parents, and you're lucky for that."

Lilia knew he had an ulterior motive to his sentimental speech.

"But…what? Are you psychic or something? What's your reason in telling me this?"

Kajal shrugged, ignoring a good majority of her questioning. "Nothing. You're just not set up in the same way…that is, unless you're already in love with one of these repulsive Pluto Knights."

"NO!" Lilia was quick to defend, making a gagging motion with her pointer finger. "No way…but I do care about Princess Crystal."

"And you are allowed," Kajal reasoned, abruptly. "But do you really want to live your entire life serving her? And potentially die for her?"

She didn't know how to answer that question. Her entire reason for wanting to be a knight was flipped on its head, and it only took questioning from some stranger for her to see it.

"…Why don't we get out of here…the queen and king won't notice, they are dancing," he suggested, pointing to the exit. She read his face again. It held an alluring look about it, still glowing from the light of the gigantic chandelier.

"You know that I can't," Lilia explained, unsheathing her sword and pointing it to the ground. "I've got to stay and protect the space, else I face demotion. And I don't doubt for one second my mother would demote me, too."

Kajal smirked in response, snapping his fingers before she even finished her sentence. At once, everyone in the room stopped. The music, the dancing, the laughing. Lilia looked incredulously down below.

"H-How did you…?"

"I can cast "stop" on multiple targets, you know. Not just one at a time. I'm not just a regular black mage…I'm also a highly skilled time mage."

"A…time mage?" she asked, confused now by all these new concepts that were flooding her mind. "But…how long—

"They'll be stopped for 30 minutes natural time, but to them it'll feel like they never stopped dancing at all. If we leave the space, however, the spell will break. So we must stay in the ballroom."

He stretched out his hand in an offering of his time. Lilia smiled brightly, and took it, curious of how she could possibly pick this man's brain.

IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Lea was determined to not go back to the ball. She didn't care of the consequences—she needed something, anything, to quell the pain, and going back to that space would only exacerbate it.

She knew her mother was worried, but she also knew she trusted her, and gave her full adult autonomy. She didn't really want anyone to chase after her. She wanted solitude. Or as much as she could get in her current situation.

She pried a lantern from a street vendor, knowing well that she would need it for the streets she was seeking out. She continued down the main drag, and turned down Cherry Way, an alley notorious for being Alexandria's own red light district. Though it was only a fraction of Lindblum's, it still held its reputation for being the hub of all of the city's late night, latent and lascivious pleasures.

She focused only on the sound of her feet hitting the stones, not where she was going. She never imagined she'd be desperate enough to resort to what she was going to do, but the beast was finally awoken in her, and it was famished from being deprived for so long. She finally looked up to see the sign she was looking for. There it hung, pathetic and dingy, written out:

The Chariot on Cherry.

"The Chariot…" Lea breathed to herself, half ashamed, half amused. She shook her head, and focused on the writing once more. She finally told herself to go in, to see for herself what it was truly like, to be at Alexandria's most famed and prolific whore-house.

What she was looking for, she was not sure she'd find. Certainly, the locale read of stinky, slimy old middle class men, and the occasional weathered gentleman, who paid for only the best whores. She wanted someone older, experienced, someone who could guide her through her relatively unexcavated pleasure. She was ready and willing to pay, if only for the right girl…

She scoped the club hard, seeing mostly young girls, probably Lilia's age, sitting on the laps of much older gentlemen, chatting them up, flirtation and demand in their eyes. They were, perhaps, kissing them, or performing fellatio, or letting them have their way, right on the open floor. The sight at first disgusted Lea, until she realized she was no better than these men who appeared to be taking advantage of such young women. She needed to find one, any older one, who was not currently occupied by a man…

And then she appeared. She slipped out of a beaded curtain in some room across the way. She seemed to know that Lea was looking for something. She wore a mask over her eyes, pasties over her nipples, and a bejeweled thong. She smiled and beckoned Lea over. There was no choice but to oblige her, transfixed by her confident, seductive nature. Once inside the curtain, there was a small cloth couch and a plethora of multi-colored flames dancing around the ceiling. The room smelled suitable, like sandalwood and jasmine, and Lea noticed that the woman was burning essential oils.

"Do you treat all your clients this well?"

She didn't answer immediately, slowly walking over to the couch to recline. She crossed her right leg over the left, and splayed her arms over the frame of the couch.

"This is the only fair and just treatment of women. Those are the only clients I see."

Lea laughed to herself, dropping her hands as a mean to drop her defenses.

"So what is tonight, some lesbian special?" Lea teased, motioning once again to the vibe, the décor.

The prostitute laughed. It was a hearty laugh, an experienced one.

"I…strictly have women as clients. I have lived out my days here, and I call the shots for it, too."

Lea wasn't really thinking clearly. All she could see was a small dark space in between the woman's inner thigh and the seam of her thong…she couldn't help but imagine the muskiness, the wetness, the beauty that lay between those legs.

"You look familiar," the woman noticed. "You are royal, yes?"

"Not quite…" Lea admitted, hands trembling. The woman only smiled and motioned for the younger woman to come near. She could hardly wait a moment longer, and quickly obeyed. Before long, they were rolling around on the couch, fighting for sexual dominance. Their kisses became so hard, so deep, and so violent, that Lea felt she could hardly breathe. But that wouldn't stop her. She was in the throes of utter Sapphic bliss, and she couldn't believe the amount of sheer pleasure she denied herself for so long. The sex worker grabbed the back of her neck hard, and used her other hand to begin unzipping Lea's dress. The fire light above her shined rainbows, swirling deep and becoming an integral part of her visual delight. She closed her eyes and savored the vibe, focusing on the sensation of the woman biting her neck, and undressing her as slowly as desire would allow, feeling the chill of the night air on her chest.

She never wanted it to end. And it was only beginning.

But it stopped, and quickly. She felt the warm body being pulled off her, and her first instinct was to jolt up from her position, to cover her exposed bosom with her arms.

Standing above her was her mother, lamp in hand, having just thrown the prostitute to the side. Her expression read not of anger, but of grave solemnity.

"What the fuck is going on here?!" the woman squealed. "Help! Help!"

"BE QUIET!" Beatrix demanded. "Lest you wish for a hurting!"

The woman huffed. "Well I oughta! Who do you think you are?"

Beatrix turned around in haste, and flipped her hair. The woman registered the eyepatch and knew immediately knew who she was dealing with.

"G-General B-Beatrix!" she squealed. "Puh-Please…don't hurt me!"

The general rolled her eyes and grabbed her daughter by the arm, straightening her up to help her get her dress back on.

"Just be quiet and we will be on our way."

She had her daughter dressed and walking out of the whore-house in less than a minute, and handed her a lantern.

"But…how did you think to find me here?!" Lea asked, a bit incredulous, a bit thankful, and very, very embarrassed.

"This isn't my first turn around the block…" Beatrix said, eerily serious in tone. "A mother's intuition hardly fails."

The young woman sighed, shaking her head and trying to keep up with her mother, who was walking quickly towards the slums.

"Wait, wait…I don't understand?"

"But I do. I understand your motives full well. You must know, however…the men that run the whore houses…they are the vilest, stingiest, and cruelest of men, and will sell off their best girl to the worst man in town for a mere 500 gil. That is not a life you want to know anything about."

"Yes, but when you say you understand," Lea started, growing more worried at the direction they were walking in. "You of course mean…that you…ehm…'like'…women too?"

The sound of the general's laugher filled the air, and Lea felt some strange form of relief by it.

"Hardly. You miss the point, dear," Beatrix said, rounding a corner. They were officially in the slums. "Come, you can walk faster, now."

"Why on Gaia are we in these parts, mother?!" Lea hissed, noticing all the strange men that suddenly appeared out of the shadows.

"Are you afraid? I have my sword on me, and you can practically sing a song and turn it to magic. Don't worry. You must see what I am about to show you."

"I…don't know why…"

But Lea had no more time to argue. They rounded their last dirty, dingy corner and the general pointed down to a drunken hiccupping man, slouched on the pole of a street lamp, giggling manically. He threw aside the empty beer bottle he held loosely in his hand, the sound of it shattering startling Lea. The drunkard looked up slowly, and tipped his grimy hat to Beatrix.

"…Trixie, Trixie, Trixie…every night, you know that I hope you come and visit me! All my hoping and praying has paid off! Here you are!"

He chuckled, weekly, and his head slumped to his chest. He gurgled.

"Mother, who is this man?! And my goodness…how does he know you?!"

"I am about to be very plain with you, so listen," Beatrix commanded, beckoning her closer. "Look at this man very closely. This is your resistance leader. I know of him since childhood."

Lea had a look about her like she was being pranked. "You…you are fibbing. How can this man…be the resistance leader?!"

Beatrix looked into her daughter's red eyes, as serious of an expression as she had ever seen.

"He is very competent when he is not drunk, I can promise you that."

"And you grew up with him in Treno?" Lea questioned, scratching her head. "This man…was a nobleman?"

"That is correct. He was the eldest son of the 3rd wealthiest family in Treno, and I was engaged to be married to him."

Lea scowled at the man who may very well have been her father if born in a different time.

"You still haven't really answered my question…how again is he related to the resistance?"

"I still haven't ironed out all the details. All I know is that he has a huge following, and is using his knowledge against me to turn people against the throne."

"But who would go out of their way to commit such atrocities for…is it…revenge?"

Beatrix snickered softly again, and Lea was beginning to feel utterly terrified. "I never said he was sane."

"So why are you showing me all this now? What good will it do me to know? Does father know?"

The general bit her lip, and squeezed her eyes shut tight. She ignored the latter piece of her question.

"I…I believe we should kill him. Right here and now. You must help me. We must get rid of him, and at least temporarily quell this nonsense while we still can."

"What?!" Lea hooted, afraid that he had heard them discussing his death. He was rolling his head around, muttering something undecipherable, looking ready to vomit on himself. "And why haven't you taken this upon yourself? Why am I suddenly involved?!"

Beatrix looked around the street in paranoia, making sure nobody was listening before she spoke.

"I want you to put everyone here to sleep, while I kill him. There can be no witnesses. If common folk see me, I will be sent trial for slaughter of a commoner."

Lea suddenly understood completely, but was unsure of her ability to do what was asked.

"I…I don't have my harp on me. How am I to put them to sleep?"

"You sing the song," Beatrix replied. "I have faith in your magic. It is powerful."

Her face stretched skeptically, and she gulped, looking down at the man who had caused his mother an undue amount of stress.

IXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

Author Notes:

I really don't have any notes for this chapter. I'm kind of trying to mirror in this story what is going on in our world right now, if that wasn't obvious. The new generation just isn't having it, and the older generation feels stuck.

It was a bit frustrating for me to write because it was so LONG, much longer than I had anticipated, but a lot needed to happen at this pivotal point in the story. I hope that I covered things well, and that they don't feel rushed. I can say this is the part in the story where things are going to get a little wild.

Next chapter is the first part of Beatrix's backstory, so stay tuned!