CHAPTER 6:
ESCAPE PLAN
A month prior to Princess Garnet's 16th birthday…
On an observation platform near the top of the castle, Amethyst put her face in her hands. What she had witnessed last night had shattered what faith she had in Queen Brahne. There were only a few she dared trust who lived here. And she was talking to them very soon.
Even so, she had a plan, a dangerous desperate plan, but a plan nonetheless, a plan that kept her awake at night. Only the knowledge that Brahne would need to wait before embarking on the plan Kuja had whispered into her ear kept her remotely calm.
She heard the distinctive clanking noise of Steiner's armour, and smiled. Steiner was more than a little simple, but his loyalty was beyond question. So too was that of her sister. It was Beatrix who was the risk, but she was loyal to Alexandria and the Princesses too.
So many other allies who could have been useful had gone. Uncle Severus had been sent off to Lindblum three months ago, to act as an ambassador to that city-state. Dr Tot had been dismissed some time ago, and they had heard nothing from him since. Freya's lessons lasted less than a few months (though they were good months: both Amethyst and Garnet felt they had made a friend in the Burmecian Dragon Knight). Brahne had forbidden any attempt to contact any of these people in recent months, citing security concerns. Amethyst didn't buy it then, and now that she knew what was happening, she wasn't buying it at all now.
"Princess, why did you bring us up here?" Steiner asked.
Amethyst turned to face them, her sister, and their two most loyal guards. "Because we needed somewhere private to speak," she said. "Last night, I found out something very disturbing, for your ears only. I must ask you to keep silent about it."
"Is this about when you snuck out of bed last night?" Garnet asked. "I heard you crying when you came back. What happened to you?"
"It's not what happened to me, Sarah," Amethyst said, "but what will happen to us both should we fail to act."
"What?" Garnet asked, her eyes widening.
"As you know, I've been getting more suspicious of Kuja, and his influence on the Queen," Amethyst said. "They've been very secretive, and last night, I followed them down to a secret chamber in the castle dungeons. There, I learned that they, along with Zorn and Thorn, are plotting against us both. I fear what they plan will also bring dishonour upon Alexandria and her people."
Steiner and Beatrix looked at each other, before they both walked towards Amethyst. Beatrix knelt first, and Steiner did the same. "Do you swear that what you say is true?" Beatrix asked.
"Yes, but wait until I tell you what I heard." Amethyst gathered herself, before she said, "The Queen is readying herself for war. She intends to embark on a war of conquest against Lindblum, Burmecia, and Cleyra. Kuja has told her that the Royal Jewels of the Mist Continent can grant her ultimate power. And he's supplying a new kind of soldier, a sort of golem form of Black Mage, created from the Mist. They said something about them being created in Dali."
Beatrix frowned as the two soldiers stood again. "Dali's a quiet village not far from here. It is true, there have been more cargo airship deliveries from there of late. But our army is more than enough to conquer Burmecia at least. I don't know enough about Cleyra to consider their defences, if they have any beyond the magical sandstorm, but Lindblum's air force would outmatch our own."
"That's why they wanted to use the Black Mages…and our Eidolons, Sarah," Amethyst said, looking at Garnet.
Garnet's eyes widened in horror. "But…how can they use our Eidolons?"
"They said they can extract them, and Uncle Severus once told me they used a similar procedure to extract a soul fragment from my scar. The procedure is normally used to extract Eidolons, and is very dangerous. They only risked it with me because they were targeting the soul fragment, and not the Eidolons," Amethyst said. "Once extracted into a gem, all they need is a massive influx of magic. They intend to use Eidolons on Cleyra and Lindblum, once they are extracted from us."
"Her Majesty wouldn't dare harm either of you!" Steiner yelped.
"Do you call me a liar, Steiner?" Amethyst demanded.
"No. Rather, I call you mistaken," Steiner said. "The Queen would never…"
"Steiner, quiet," Beatrix interjected, and the quiet tone of her voice got through to Steiner. "I think Her Majesty most certainly would. Amethyst, please continue."
Amethyst nodded, before saying, "The extraction procedure can't be done safely until after the summoner's 16th birthday. It's not because they want us alive afterwards, but because if they screw up, they may lose the Eidolons they're trying to extract. Waiting until after then means that they will have a much better chance of succeeding. And an Eidolon, with enough power put into it, can level a city."
Garnet put a hand to her mouth, horrified. Both Steiner and Beatrix seemed shaken, not only by the power of an Eidolon, but of Brahne's attitude towards her children, adopted or not. It was not how a mother should treat her children, even one not of their blood.
"How did you witness this without being noticed?" Beatrix asked.
"Diablos can shroud me in darkness. As long as I stick to shadows, I'm virtually undetectable," Amethyst said. "General Beatrix, do you believe me?"
"I do, if only because I have kept my eyes open. Her Majesty is moving, albeit quietly, onto a war footing," Beatrix said. "Already, I have been asked about the feasibility of attacking Burmecia and Lindblum. Steiner doesn't know because, as Captain of the Pluto Knights, his concerns are more with guarding the castle and the royal family, rather than going to war."
"But this is preposterous," Steiner hissed. "We have treaties with both Lindblum and Burmecia. The Queen would never cast all of that aside, unless she was under a malign influence. Do you believe Kuja controls her?"
Amethyst shook her head. "Influencing her, with a silver tongue, but if there is a spell involved, then it's a subtle one. The Queen has changed much since the King has died."
"Then…what am I to do?" Steiner demanded. "I am sworn to fealty, to protect the Queen, to protect both of you, and to protect Alexandria, all to my dying breath. Whatever road I choose, I will break an oath."
"Steiner," Beatrix said, "I think our road is clear. There is ensuring the ascendancy of Alexandria, true, but it should not be at the expense of those we are charged with protecting. I believe Princess Amethyst. I have felt uneasy about Kuja for some time, but for the sake of Her Majesty, stilled my tongue. But if she is intent on this mad scheme to raze the powers of the Mist Continent when peace currently reigns, then I will gladly suffer the dishonour of breaking one vow, if only to safeguard the others." Beatrix knelt down. "Once more, I ask, do you solemnly swear that what you said is true?"
"I swear on my very life itself, Beatrix," Amethyst said.
"Then I swear on my own life that I shall do my utmost to protect you both. For the sake of that protection, I will forsake the oath of loyalty I took to Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros."
Steiner, after a moment of conflict, knelt down. "So too do I, Princess. To you and to Princess Garnet, I commit my utmost devotion."
"Thank you, both of you," Amethyst said, embracing the two soldiers in a hug. "I am sorry to do this, to make you choose to forsake your vows, but…"
Beatrix shook her head. "Princess…I may be a famed fighter, and I enjoy a good challenge in combat. But to be party to utterly unwarranted aggression, not to mention the theft of the Eidolons from either of you…no, I shall not. But what, pray, do we do about this?"
"I have a plan," Amethyst said.
Garnet groaned. "I should hope not. I remembered that prank you inveigled me in."
"This is no prank, this is deadly serious. It'd be difficult for us to flee Alexandria without being spotted, normally," Amethyst said. "But I had this notion: Tantalus is coming to the castle in a month for the annual birthday performance of I Want to Be Your Canary for Garnet. They come from Lindblum. The last time Uncle Cid came over, when I told him I was training in being a spy, he told me that the leader of Tantalus, Baku, was a friend of his. I've also talked to a couple of their members on a few occasions, including their leading lady, Ruby. During the performance, Garnet and I slip out from the balcony. Then, after enough time has passed, you go searching for us. We'll make our separate ways onto Tantalus' theatre-ship, the Prima Vista. Hopefully, once the play is done, we can persuade Tantalus to take us to Lindblum."
"Or commandeer the ship if we have to," Beatrix said grimly. "Hopefully, it won't come to that. I believe I know a little more about Tantalus. Rumour has it that they're more than a theatre troupe. They're said to be amongst the most accomplished thieves and treasure hunters in the whole of the Mist Continent. But as you said, they're under the aegis of Regent Cid, who sometimes hires them to accomplish things he can't be seen doing. So the rumours say, in any case. It's a risk, but it's a better plan than none."
"This is our best throw of the dice?" Steiner asked. "To try and demand passage from a group of actors who may very well be brigands?"
"Better that than remaining here," Garnet said, her voice hard with resolution. "I've also seen what has been happening to Mother, and I have considered a similar plan myself. What my sister has said only strengthens my resolve. With you both by our side, I feel much safer."
"Hopefully, Uncle Cid may be able to help protect us," Amethyst said. "We'll figure out what to do from there."
Half a world away, in the ruins of an ancient village, a girl with blue hair and a horn protruding from her forehead looked at the man in tattered, ragged clothes lying on the bed in front of her. It had been another Bad Night for him, though at least Fenrir kept him company, and kept her safe into the bargain. Now it was the morning after.
His eyes flickered open, and he looked at the girl. "…Eiko? Nothing bad happened?"
"It was just another Bad Night. Don't worry, you're okay now," Eiko Carol said. It had been just under a year since she found him on the path from Conde Petie, ragged and worn.
"No scratches or bites?"
Eiko chuckled. "Nope, Fenrir kept you away from me. I mean, it was mean of my grandpa and the others to keep you away from here. I mean, you're a nice person and everything. You just have Bad Nights."
The man sat up, and looked at the girl. "It was a really Bad Night that caused them to exile me. I lost control, and they couldn't confine me. I didn't kill anyone or infect them, but…" His breath caught in his throat, almost a sob. "They sent me away because I was a monster. It shouldn't hurt, it's not the first time it happened…but I had been so happy, and…now I've lost everything. Even now, I don't know what's happening to the one I should be protecting."
Morrison, the leader of the Moogles here, waddled into the room. "Unfortunately, we're still not getting any letters from Alexandria Castle. Even with the problems we've been having with Mognet, it shouldn't be like that, kupo. We did get something from Lindblum. It seems that Severus Snape is now working in Lindblum, and when he learned of your survival, he wanted a message sent, kupo."
"Please, let me see it," the tormented older man asked, and he was given the letter. Eventually, he sighed. "So the Regent of Lindblum is trying to get them both out of there? But what is Queen Brahne up to?"
"We don't know, but it sounds like war, kupo," Morrison said. "Cid and Snape are both worried that Brahne may attempt to extract the Eidolons from Sarah and Rose. And there are rumours that Brahne is on a war footing, kupo."
"And two children dear to me are caught up in the middle," the man groaned.
"Mr Lupin," Morrison said, "I'm sorry we didn't try and make a better case for you to stay in Madain Sari. And I know you are worried about your charges. But you can't do much for them for the moment."
Remus Lupin nodded wearily. "I just…I just wish there was something I could do to help them both…"
CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:
So, Amethyst and Garnet plot along with Steiner and Beatrix to flee Alexandria, and Lupin's alive, if not very well, in Madain Sari, keeping Eiko company. More about what happened to Lupin in another chapter. Next chapter, though, will be about Amethyst and Garnet fleeing Alexandria, with an unexpected passenger coming along for the ride. Well, unexpected to anyone but those who played the game. Of course, how Vivi joins their adventures is somewhat different to the game…
Then again, from the two princess' escape from Alexandria, there will be differences from the Final Fantasy IX storyline.
No numbered annotations this time.
