Chapter Eleven

1798

Astrid sighed as she realized the fraying end of yet another finger on her only pair of gloves. Winter was approaching rapidly. If she didn't find something valuable- and fast- she'd be freezing all season long. Pensively, the young thirteen year old girl stuffed her hands into the pockets of her bulky jacket, littered with patches. Her dark long hair beat against her back as she made her way through the bustling Lindblum. There wasn't much she could swipe in broad daylight. And her lock picking skills were dismal, by the declaration of her mother, Molly. She was hungry, too, and knew all that awaited her back at their lair was a watery soup of rather rotten cabbage. Astrid pursed her lips as she thought about her mother. She was a hard ass, that was for sure. She never gave Astrid any special treatment in their small mismatched family. If anything, Delta and Felicia received the most praise. But Astrid never let it bother her too much. She and her mother had a powerful secret, one Delta and Felicia could never accomplish. Astrid's worn boots scuffed to the cobblestone as she paused to look at a booth serving meat on a stick. It looked so tender and moist. Astrid tugged her black knit hat, wondering for a moment how easy it'd be to snag one straight from the grill and make a run for it. She glanced down the long breezeway. Not many people would be in her path. She observed the vendor. He was a rather hefty man. How far would he possibly pursue the elusive and spry teenager? In the next moment, however, Astrid was startled from her thoughts as a town guard pressed by her, stepping up to order himself a kebab. Quickly, the young girl turned away, hurrying down the steps as if the thought alone was a crime.

Astrid turned sharply into a narrow alleyway to make the cut into the theater district. She came to a screeching halt, however, when she found a fourteen year old boy sitting on an orange crate, enjoying a kebab. Astrid knew him. The very thought of him irked her. He finally noticed her, turning his startling blue eyes on Astrid. He grinned, however, as if he was happy to see her. Astrid couldn't decide whether it was cheeky or genuine. Behind him, his tail brushed against the cool brick wall. His black coat hung heavily on his broad shoulders. He raked his blond hair from the frame of his face.

"Hey, Astrid," He said. "No lunch today?"

"Oh, can it, Zidane," She crossed her arms over her chest.

"What? A pretty girl like you couldn't bat her eyelashes for a free meal?" Zidane laughed. Astrid rolled her eyes, looking away from him with burning cheeks."Really, if you just cut yourself some bangs in, you could totally pass as Princess Garnet." Astrid paused, turning her head to look at him.

"You mean that?" Astrid asked, gazing up to him on his stack of crates. Zidane nodded, taking another bite from his kebab.

"Yeah, I'd say you're pretty close," Zidane grinned, reaching into his backpack. "Here," He offered a slender brown paper package. "I got two kebabs. Enjoy."

Astrid pushed it away, walking a few paces down the alley. "I don't need your handouts. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"If it's money you need, why don't you ever tag along with me and the guys?" Zidane asked, leaning back against the wall and focusing on his kebab. He tapped the package against his knee.

"Mother says to stay away from you guys," Astrid looked over her shoulder. "I'm not even supposed to be talking to you."

Zidane let out a hearty laugh, tossing the stick onto the ground. He tucked the package into his backpack and hopped down, straightening his coat. "Oh, come on, what does Molly know? She's only saying that because of something that happened between her and Baku twenty years ago."

"My mother has always known what's best for me," Astrid crossed her arms over her chest, holding her chin up defiantly. Her mother often assumed the same pose when chastising the girls. Zidane almost found himself laughing again and he shook his head. "What?"

"You're just another bum street kid like me," Zidane told her. "We gotta stick together. Steal together. We could be rich."

"Oh, and what would we steal?" Astrid tilted her head.

"Rich people just leave all their assets right on the table for you," Zidane grinned. "This Saturday, we're going after a rich man in the Estate District. He's got a room full of fine-tuned antique clocks. The collection is worth thousands of gil. You wanna come?"

"Again," Astrid arched her bold brows. "I don't want your handouts, Zidane."

"Fine, suit yourself," Zidane shrugged, tugging at his backpack straps. "You know where to find me."

"Oh, I'll never come looking for you!" Bossy Astrid called after him. But he only whistled a tune, not even casting her another look, as he left the alley.

…

The cargo hold of the Alexandrian Airship was dark and turbulent. Astrid found herself sitting against the wall, her eyes cast down. In her hand, she held a thin gold chain. At the end dangled a small garnet. Astrid pursed her lips, looking to Felicia who sat across from her. "What you said earlier," Astrid's lips barely moved. Delta looked up from polishing her dagger. "About Tantalus falling apart… it was because Zidane left, wasn't it?" Delta and Felicia exchanged looks. Oh, poor stupid lovesick Astrid.

"Yeah, they say he disappeared in the Outer Continent," Felicia nodded slowly.

Astrid furrowed her brow, closing her hand along the small modest gem. "Do you think he's really dead?"

"Who cares?" Delta shrugged. "Zidane was a hopeless fool."

"I remember he was always trying to help me…" Astrid shook her head.

"Yeah, the blood in his body only flows one direction, Astrid," Felicia said, nearly rolling her eyes.

"Seriously, forget about him," Delta told her. "Molly may have died, but that doesn't mean she won't come from the grave and whoop your ass. Remember how much trouble you got in the first time she found you sneaking out with Zidane?"

Zidane and Astrid's relationship was all a blur in her mind. It seemed like it happened so fast. Astrid had read the tabloids. She knew Zidane had been involved with Queen Garnet. What an odd twist in events, she thought to herself, again dangling the garnet necklace from her slender fingers. Some days she wondered if her mother really had been right about Zidane. It seemed he had been destined for so much more than the damned street kids of Lindblum. She was certain she'd question it forever. However, she'd never get an unbiased answer.

"This isn't about Zidane," Felicia leaned forward, setting her elbows to her knees. "This is about Queen Garnet and true justice. Consider Zidane out of the picture forever, Astrid. He was just some dumb, lying boy from your past. You gave him what he wanted and then he went on a world tour with the princess. He should mean nothing to you."

Astrid again furrowed her brow, tilting her head. "He doesn't mean anything to me," She insisted. "But you can't tell me you don't get curious. We knew him. He lived right around the corner. Don't the stories in the newspaper sound so… interesting? Who would have thought…?"

"Yeah, well," Delta inspected her dagger before turning her eyes on Astrid. "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."

"Besides," Felicia tilted her head against the cargo wall as the airship hit another patch of turbulence. "The journalists do up all their stories, romanticize them. Zidane wasn't really all that, Astrid."

The dark haired girl was quiet as she inspected the necklace in her palm.

…

As the golden rays of the morning began to break over the mountain range, Garnet found herself in her private study. She sat at her desk, her chin in her palm. She held before her eyes a napkin that had rigid cursive written along it, along with drawings of arrows. Who knew a lead engineer would always carry ink and a quill? As Liam had said, inspiration struck at the most odd moments. He had drawn for Garnet the general structure of the engine for the Blue Rose, pointing out the small details of new machines they had innovated for more power and better efficiency. He had quite nice handwriting, she thought to herself. Slowly, Garnet's dark eyes fell to the corner of the napkin.

For a smart girl, who inspires me daily. No cloud, no squall, shall hinder us. Liam.

Garnet closed her eyes and sighed, placing the napkin on the desk. Her insides tightened in her belly. Liam had made the night somewhat easier for her. He was simple to chat to and he kept her mind occupied with interesting stories from the drawing board. Garnet learned Liam loved Treno for it's nightlife. He had even gotten a rare moonstone from the auction. He was well traveled across the Mist Continent. Garnet didn't share much of her worldly travels, however. Liam was bright and exuded confidence. Garnet had to admit he was quite charming and not hard on the eyes. But she would only break his heart, she was convinced. She couldn't possibly pursue a relationship with Liam when the entire night, she was wishing he was someone else entirely. And she had yet again managed to dodge a goodnight kiss. Garnet wanted the laid back boy. The one who exuded confidence, but not in an attempt to make good impressions. She wanted the boy who would make her laugh and whisper snark remarks all night. She wanted the boy who would propose the idea of ditching and instead, finding adventure beneath the stars. Garnet felt hot tears welling against the inside of her eyes.

It's so unfair.

Suddenly, the door opened and Garnet sat straight as an arrow, rubbing furiously at her wet eyes. She kept her eyes forward as she heard the doors close. "Your Majesty, you're back." Zidane came to stand at the side of her desk. Garnet looked to him, but he tilted his head, his helmet falling across his face. "How was the gala?" He asked, looking towards the napkin on the table. He recognized the engine of an airship. He also saw Liam's name with a small heart doodled beside it. Zidane took in a deep breath to contain himself. Garnet quickly stood and crossed towards the waiting piles of letters demanding replies. "Are you alright?" Zidane furrowed his brow, again coming closer to Garnet. "Were you… crying?"

"The gala was just fine," Garnet told him, her voice somewhat strained. "Thank you for asking, Zeke." She approached the table and with a shaky hand, she grabbed a letter mindlessly off the top.

"Did something happen?" Zidane continued to prod.

"No, of course not," Garnet said, looking over her shoulder. Her eyelashes were wet, her cheeks tear streaked. "I just…" Garnet sighed. "It's nothing. We should probably get to work. Could you get the ink wells from the bookshelf?"

It took a few beats for Zidane to decide to fetch the ink. He cluttered a few crystal wells into his palms, grabbing the quills, too. He brought it to the table, scattering them out in preparation for their day of dictation and signing. But he paused again, looking to Garnet. "Your Majesty, I don't mean to be pushy, but we're going to be here together all day. You might as well tell me what's bothering you. I promise I won't tell Rusty."

Garnet's eyes snapped to him in the next moment and Zidane ground his teeth together, cursing in his mind. "What… did you call him?"

"Wow, I'm really sorry, Your Majesty, that just rolled out," Zidane explained, his cheeks becoming hot. "Weimar called him that in private and we all thought it was funny, but it's not…"

In the next moment, Garnet burst into tears, pressing her hands to her rosy cheeks. Stunned, Zidane reached forward, gripping her shoulder. Garnet hadn't sobbed so hard in quite some time. And never had she had such an emotional outburst in front of anyone. She was incredibly embarrassed. But that one mundane word opened some floodgate that she didn't even know was budging. Zidane's heart was utterly broken for Garnet. She seemed to be in so much pain. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her. She turned her head against his shoulder.

"I loved him, Zeke," She said in her broken voice. "I loved him and no one seems to understand that."

Zidane closed his eyes. Was Beatrix right? How long was this sustainable? All Zidane was doing was playing right into his origin, being the reaper of his destruction. But still, he couldn't do it. Even as Garnet's tears trickled beneath his chest plate and into his shirt, Zidane couldn't allow himself to take his helmet off. He wasn't the same Zidane he once was. She would be horrified to see how far into the depths he had slipped. And she would probably be angry with him. There had to be something he could do to convince himself. But no ideas procured themselves.

Garnet's sobs died away and she pulled from Zidane's touch, rubbing at her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Zeke. Truly… I… I suppose I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. That's not your burden."

Zidane's heart was beating so rapidly, he was certain it was ringing out against his armor. "Captain Steiner told me to do whatever I needed to for you. That includes lending an ear." He glanced towards the table and shook his head. "Why don't I get you some tea? And… maybe you can just talk to me about what's going on. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Garnet sighed and pressed her hands to the table. "I'm sorry but… you wouldn't understand, Zeke."

"Try me."

Garnet again looked to him, her eyes searching him endlessly. She blinked after a moment and pursed her lips. "I fell in love with someone I was probably never supposed to meet."

"And how did that happen?" Zidane asked, somewhat numb.

She furrowed her dark brow, tilting her head down. "It all happened when the thief and the princess crossed paths in this very castle…"

…

When Zidane left that castle that evening, his mind was in a whirl. Barely two weeks since he'd woken up and he felt like he had caused a wake of destruction. What was he going to do? Beatrix and Steiner were right, as much as he hated to admit. But he would have to come clean to everyone about what he did, who he was, and what he'd been doing. How could he justify going undercover as a Knight of Pluto? Zidane wasn't even entirely sure why he did it. Zidane took his helmet off as he waved through the garden and he sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Why didn't he have the guts to pull his helmet off in front of Garnet? He imagined she'd slap him, just as Beatrix did. And he would deserve it.

Zidane pushed the door open to the soldiers barracks feeling absolutely drained. However, he was confronted with an unusual sight. Weimar, Mullenkedheim, Blutzen, and Laudo were all dressed up in nice dinner coats and pressed slacks. They were laughing and joking with each other as Laudo fixed his short brown hair in a mirror. When the group spotted him, they all shouted in greeting, throwing their arms in the air. Weimar surged forward, roughly looping his arm around Zidane's shoulders.

"Zeke, just in time, my man!" Weimar grinned. "Sweet little Wendy from Squad Beatrix dropped a hint the girls were hittin' the bars tonight! Apparently to celebrate two new recruits. Me and the guys were gonna tag along and see if we can assimilate. Come with us!" Weimar wiggled his eyebrows.

Zidane shrugged out of Weimar's embrace, shaking his head. "That's alright. I've had a very long day…"

"No, come on, Zeke, we aren't taking no for an answer!" Weimar reached for his arm again. "You haven't had the chance to go out onto the town with us before. It's a blast. And besides, you'd be a good wingman, I can feel it."

"Wendy's too smart to sleep with you," Laudo drawled from where he primped his appearance.

Weimar shot him a haughty look. "Please, Zeke?"

Zidane pursed his lips for a moment before he sighed. "Fine, alright. Give me ten minutes."

…

Zidane recalled the few times he had partaken in Alexandria's night life in his youth. When him and the other kids in the various hideouts of the theater district scraped together enough coins, they could afford the fare to Alexandria. The bars always had a charming atmosphere to them. They were far less dank than the bars they had in their nestled corner of Lindblum beneath the iron skyscrape. It had been nearly two years since he had done such a thing. It felt like an entirely different lifetime.

Zidane had opted for a short sleeve white cotton shirt with a brown leather vest left unbuttoned. He wore blue slacks, leaving his brown hair a disheveled mess, easily announcing his helmet hair. The guys beside him were amping themselves up. Zidane wondered if that's how obnoxious and carefree he used to be. Zidane's heart panged in his chest as he walked mindlessly beside his companions across the quiet plaza, heading towards the rowdy alleyways. He remembered him and Blank stumbling down these cobblestone streets, falling out of drunkenness, howling with laughter. Blank… What were his Tantalus buddies up to these days? He sure hoped they were still robbing nobles utterly blind.

"First stop, The Blind Fox!" Weimar declared, pointed towards the faded painted sign dangling from an iron rod. Zidane looked to it's familiar sign, his eyes intensely scanning it. He had been here before. Together, they all jaunted down the stairs into the basement bar. Immediately, Weimar hooted, waltzing up to a table. "Hey, ladies! Knights of Pluto in the house. Can we get the ferocious Squad Beatrix a round of drinks?" Zidane detached from the group, choosing to seat himself at the end of the bar. Mullenkedheim came to join him, shrugging out of his plaid coat.

"That Weimar… I don't know where he gets the courage," Mullenkedheim grinned, his brown curls bouncing on his head. "Should have known he'd come here. This is where Squad Beatrix always goes for drinks."

"So, all these girls are on Squad Beatrix?" Zidane asked, glancing around at the rather quiet bar.

"Yup," Mullenkedheim nodded, signaling to the bartender. "You haven't met any of them?" He cocked an eyebrow up. Zidane shook his head as the bartender served them two foamy glasses of golden ale. "Well, over at that table, the blond girl, who looks the most annoyed with Weimar, that's Wendy, General Beatrix's second in command. Next to her, with the red hair, that's Shira. And the other blond girl is Persephone. They're pretty much the top dogs of Squad Beatrix." Mullenkedheim tilted his head, taking a foamy sip.

"And the one's here at the bar?" Zidane nodded his head.

"That's Inez, Sophia, and Gracen," Mullenkedheim rattled off. "Weimar said there were some new recruits, though…" He furrowed his brow, craning his neck around. Finally, he looked to the closest girl. "Hey, Inez. Where are your new recruits?"

The tan girl looked over her shoulder from having a conversation with her friends. "Back table. They're not very chatty, so don't get too excited." And just like that, she went back to socializing. Zidane and Mullenkedheim both leaned in their stools to look into the furthest corner of the bar. Sure enough, a red headed girl and one with long, straight black hair sat together, quietly talking to each other. Zidane felt his heartbeat accelerate. He recognized those girls. Zidane straightened up, staring ahead where the bartender arranged liquor bottles on a shelf. It couldn't be, he told himself. Why would they be in Alexandria? Zidane furrowed his brow, tilting his head down, as a rush of a memory came over him.

…

1799

It had just freshly rained on the streets of Alexandria. It was the dead of night and completely pitch. Not a single ray of milky moonlight pierced through the thick veil of storm clouds. Beneath the fading candlelight of the streets, the cobblestone glimmered with its wet surface. It was relatively quiet at that intersection where a shoe maker, a baker, and a blacksmith resided. It didn't last long, however, before two pairs of boots resounded against the ground. Zidane emerged from the dark alleyway. His hand was locked with his companion and he spun her outward. In between his pants, he was laughing, and so was she. Eventually, she crashed back into Zidane and the two staggered, still ferociously laughing, as Zidane fell against a nearby wall. Their giggles began to die down and only their shallow breathing could be heard. They looked into each others eyes and Zidane tenderly brushed his hand against her cheek, into her hair.

"I can't believe you got away with it for so long," Zidane laughed, holding her jaw in his palm.

"I really ought to work on my princess speech so I don't get caught next time," She said with dark eyes that glittered. "At least we got plenty to drink."

"You're amazing, Astrid," Zidane smiled. "I don't care what Molly says, you're the best thief in your entire crew."

Astrid's grin fell crooked and she reached for Zidane's wrist. "My mother may seem hard to please, but that's why I work so hard."

Zidane shook his head. "You wouldn't have to if you just joined us, Astrid. Come on, it would be great. Imagine us, doing all the greatest heists we could dream of. All you gotta do is remember a few lines."

Astrid was quiet a few beats, studying Zidane's face in the lemon glow of the candlelight. She enjoyed the warmth of his body emanating against hers. "This is already my greatest heist. This is my own rebellion towards my mother. I love her, but this is proof she can't completely control me."

Zidane grinned mischievously, bumping his forehead to Astrid's. "Oh, so you're just messing around with me to spite your mom, huh?" Astrid broke into a series of laughs as Zidane attacked her neck with kisses. She embraced him tightly. Around them, another light rain was beginning to come down, polishing the cobblestone all over again.

"Well, you're still getting a good deal," Astrid teased, their lips only inches apart. Zidane wrapped his arms around her waist. "You can pretend you're dating the princess."

"Oh, yeah, like anyone would believe that in a million years," Zidane laughed before their lips crushed together. After a moment, Astrid tore away.

"I'm still thirsty," She looked at him coyly as the rain drops fell through her sleek dark hair.

"Well, what's open at one in the morning?" Zidane looked around through the growing fog.

"Oh, I know," Astrid smiled, lacing her fingers through Zidane's. "The Blind Fox!"

…

"Well, they look… feisty," Mullenkedheim joked, elbowing Zidane in the arm. The young man perked up, rapidly blinking his eyes.

"Y… yeah," Zidane muttered, keeping his eyes down and taking a swig of his beer. Why would Delta and Felicia ever join Squad Beatrix? What had happened in Lindblum to drive them out? And where was Astrid? Zidane felt his heart beat loudly in his ears. He hadn't thought of Astrid in quite some time. Not since he had become preoccupied with learning I Want to be Your Canary for Regent Cid. That mission had become so large and so private, he had completely stopped seeing her. All thoughts of Astrid had melted away, especially after meeting Garnet. Their similar looks had made it easy for Zidane to forget his love escapade when he was carefree. But now, here she was again, in the forefront of his mind. Delta, Felicia, and Astrid had been inseparable. The three musketeers of petty crime. Had something happened to her?

In the next moment, however, his thoughts were chased away as hands came down on his shoulders. Zidane perked up, looking to see Shira and Wendy had come over with their beers in hand. A defeated Weimar, but not relenting one, joined them at the bar now, tearing Inez from her conversation as he ordered himself a whiskey. Shira grinned, giving Mullenkedheim a nudge. "So, is this him? The awe-inspiring, record-breaking, Zeke Tisdoll?"

"None other," Mullenkedheim lifted his glass in salutation.

"General Beatrix showed us your physical," Wendy looked to Zidane with a smile. "Someone finally faster than Weimar in a good way."

"Hey!" He bellowed from across the bar and the girls broke into a series of giggles.

"Nice to meet you," Zidane held his hand out.

"Oh, and polite, too," Wendy looked to Shira with arched eyebrows as she accepted the handshake. "General Beatrix never raves about anyone. You must be quite special, Zeke."

"Nah," Zidane shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. "My blood's red like yours."

"Modest, also!" Shira mused. She grinned and leaned over Zidane, signaling to the bartender. "This soldier's next round is on me, Torrence!" Weimar looked incredibly jealous in the moment.

"Oh, I can't stay late," Zidane shook his head. "I have to be up early."

"Yeah, Zeke here is Queen Garnet's personal bodyguard," Mullenkedheim grinned, giving him a pat on the back.

"Really now?" Wendy cocked an eyebrow up. "General Beatrix didn't mention that, do tell, Zeke."

"Not much to really say," Zidane told them. "I just follow her around while she does her errands. She writes a lot and she reads a lot. That's really it."

"Hm, a Knight of Pluto who actually takes his job seriously," Wendy pinched Mullenkedheim on the shoulder. "What a concept!"

The door to the bar opened and Wendy and Shira looked over their shoulders. Cautiously, Zidane tilted his head to look between them, seeing a cloaked girl had entered. Upon being greeted with the warmth of the bar, she pushed her hood back to settle on her thin shoulders. Zidane just about fell from his chair. It was Astrid. Her dark eyes looked towards the corner of the room and she pressed through the sparse crowd, seating herself with Delta and Felicia.

"Hm, the new girls have a friend," Wendy placed her hand on her hip. "From first glance, I thought that was Her Majesty, here to reprimand Zeke for having fun."

"Yeah, that is strange," Mullenkedheim laughed as he downed the last of his beer. "She does bear a strong resemblance. I read something somewhere that said there's at least one other person in the world who looks like you."

Zidane kept his eyes trained intensely on the back of Astrid's head as she and the girls whispered quietly together at their table. A terrible feeling was blossoming in the pit of his stomach. Nothing about their presence seemed good. "Hey, Mullenkedheim," Zidane placed a hand to his arm, trying to act natural. "Why don't you take that free round Shira offered me? I'm… I gotta go home now."

"Aw, so soon?" Shira furrowed her brow.

"Yeah…" Zidane said as he stood, his eyes back on Astrid. "I have to go." And with that, he turned sharply, keeping his head down, as he bolted out the door.

…

Garnet stared intensely at the pale moon that beamed through her study's windows. It was such a quiet and calm tonight. Unlike the turmoil that plagued her heart. Garnet sighed as she lowered her eyes back to the parchment in front of her. She had to take a deep breath to steady her hand as she dabbed her quill into the inkwell. Garnet closed her eyes for only a moment before she pressed the tip to the parchment, pursing her lips.

Dear Blank…