Chrono Trigger

The Queen Returns; A tale concerning an accusation of an assassination.

And now we quickly return to Marle who was beside herself with confusion. Everything seemed so familiar as they walked through the forest. There were even some trees that were in the exact same spot as they were in her forest. It made her mind itch as she tried so vainly to explain what would constitute such an odd coincidence. She was unable to come to any final conclusions, all her decisions seemingly fallible to her. Instead, she had stopped protesting and walked along with the armored guards in hopes that her host would be able to answer her questions.

"Where are we going?" She asked, not lifting her eyes that stared at the ground.

"To your castle; Guardia castle." Answered a guard, adding stronger emphasis on the pronoun.

"It is not mine! It is not Guardia castle! I know my own kingdom!" She said seething between her clenched teeth.

The leader pat the man on the shoulder as he whispered, "Try not to pressure her. It is evident that she is overcome with some strange hysteria or some malady."

This only made Marle glower as she crossed her arms across her chest. She chose not to respond to his hushed whisper which was not intended for her ears; instead she only softly murmured to herself that these men were crazy.

- - - - - - - - - - -

All this had transpired yesterday, and Marle did reach her destination long before Crono found his way out of the forest. In the meantime, Crono was sleeping soundly on a dusty floor, snoring softly as a poor farmer watched him with red eyes. Little did Crono know, the man had been watching him all night while he made his children sleep in another room behind a heavy door under lock and key. This was a farmer who treasured his family more than anything else, and he did not want any harm to befall them by the hand of his guest.

Yes, he was afraid of Crono that slept soundly on the floor. The farmer questioned within himself if he was really asleep. It was only a few things that the stranger said the night before that sent his mind reeling into a horrendous torrent of thoughts that ended with a terrifying conclusion. This man was a deadly assassin sent from a warring country that was bent on their demise. If the farmer had a spine for himself he would have tried to take Crono in his sleep, but he knew assassins to be a tricky lot, knowing how to fool and murder without being traced. He was never really certain if he were asleep.

His worrisome heart was eased from his burden as he saw a group of armored soldiers running to his humble abode, swords brandished and arrows prepared at the ready. His wife was following behind, pointing frantically at her house as the soldiers ran to her door. There was a loud boom as a heavy boot pounded into the door, swinging it wide open and nearly busting the hinges. The pounding of metallic soles filled the room as they made their way to the farmer who was pointing at the youth which was still on the floor, soundly asleep.

The point of a blade gently grazed his shoulder as a soldier attempted to wake him gently. Bit by bit he grew more forceful in his approach until his was rolling him over with the ball of his foot. He laughed at himself, "Surely, this man must be a demon to sleep so deeply! Wake up, demon spawn!" He gave another shove with his foot and Crono began to stir, rubbing his eyes as he stared into the face of a sardonic smile. To the soldier's annoyance, he turned over on his other side and began to sleep again.

The soldier knelt down and shook him by his shoulders until Crono was forced to sit upright and look at him. He yawned as he mustered a frown. "What? What is it?" Crono asked, smacking his lips, wiping away a little drool with the neckline of his gray undershirt. The guard looked at the others, clearly stupefied at such a carefree reaction to a group of armed soldiers. He turned to the farmer whist pointing a finger at Crono, "Is he drunk?"

The farmer laughed, "No! He just sleeps like the dead I imagine!"

There was a brief and intense moment where Crono was confused. The events of yesterday had momentarily left his mind, no matter how important they were. It came back to him in a flood of memories as he saw himself bumping into Marle, stepping into the strange portal, getting lost in the woods, and the people that took him in. Then, he also realized that strange men in heavy armor were surrounding him with drawn swords. He looked up at them and the response the guards were expecting finally found its way to his face. "What is going on?" Crono said, looking at the guards and then to the farmer.

"You will be taken under custody. You are a suspect of an assassination attempt against the Queen of Guardia."

Crono frowned in accusation as he saw an armored soldier dropping a small pouch into the farmer's hand. It sounded like there were a few gold coins inside, most likely enough to let him relax for a whole week. It suddenly dawned on him that he had been turned in on false charges just so that the farmer could line his pockets. However, was that really the reason? He did seem frightened when Crono mentioned he came from the mountains. That, however, was the last thing on his mind as he felt his body being lifted off the ground roughly. He felt the uncomfortable strands of a course rope binding his hands behind his back. He only gave the farmer a face that only could be determined as a look of betrayal and stupidity.

"What is going on here?" Crono said, with as much indignation as he could muster. "I could not be responsible for any assassination attempt!"

"We will save that for her majesty to say if you are guilty or not. If you are guilty, then it is straight to the execution block for you." He felt a blow land on his back as the other men laughed. He felt himself being pushed towards the door and something within him told him not to resist. The still small voice worked so well the last time that he would listen to it again. He only allowed himself to be roughly treated as they pushed him towards a horse carriage. There were actually three all together for all the soldiers who responded to the call. Crono felt himself being hoisted and his bands coming undone only to be strapped with his hands on either side of the cart. He was allowed to sit, but this was still an uncomfortable position, his arms being outstretched, unable to move or to scratch any itches he might've had. He could feel the other men boarding the cart, but he was facing away from them and suddenly the cart jolted forward as the team of horses pulled them along.

The farmer had few neighbors, but no matter the little number, they were all outside, gawking as the red-haired youth was being escorted off to the castle. The sound of squeaky wheels and crumbling rocks began to intensify as he felt the wagon being pulled faster and the neighbors had gone out of sight. The start of their travel was in the most rural part of this strange town which seemed so impoverished. It was not a grotesque city, but it just seemed so primitive. There were no street lights or any type of businesses. Glass was replaced by simple wooden slates that covered the windows and smoke came from out of each and every chimney. The roads were not smooth like the cobblestone roads he had, but they were mostly dirt and rocks. The children seemed far dirtier then normal children and even the gap between rich and poor was incredibly obvious, even on first glance. In a more civilized country, it was usually a little more difficult to determine who was poor and who was not, but in this place it was plainly obvious.

Unfortunately for Crono his presence had not gone unnoticed. As they entered the depths of this oddly charming city he could already hear the jeers and taunts of the crowds. He looked up and saw that he had become a spectacle to the populace. Even amongst all this chaos, with these strange people and their strange houses he could not help but think one thing: "Have I ever been here before?"

Although he was partially disgusted at such primitivism, he felt something familiar about this place. Crono never traveled much since he and his mother had to work hard to support the home they had, but occasionally he would get the chance to stay on a cargo ship to deliver goods to another country. However, he would never go further than the port so he did not really explore any other cities. Still, he was almost positive that he had been to this place before. He scoffed at himself, thinking that this was absurd. Still, that odd feeling never really left him as he made it past the jeering crowds and onto the road that led towards the castle.

- - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, the night before, Marle was wandering around that same castle that Crono would be approaching the next day. She had of look of confused awe as she entered the vestibule. If she had any feeling of familiarity before it all came back to her at full force. Everything seemed the same as her castle, but it all had a gothic feel to the decorations. Dark, purple banners hung from the ceiling with golden trim, and astonishingly had her family crest on it! She remembered the grand staircase that led to the dinner tables and eventually the throne room as was her own. What an incredibly mixed feeling of emotion! She felt like she was home but still felt the awkwardness of being in such a strange setting. Her hand grazed against the walls in a more desperate effort to determine if this really was her castle.

"Are you well, my majesty?" A guard looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, I am a little confused, but where is the king?" Marle asked.

"The king wishes an audience with you. He is beside himself with joy!"

"Why?"

The guard gave her a look that showed the answer should be obvious, "His wife and queen have returned to him!"

Suddenly Marle had blushed a deep crimson and a look of nervousness engulfed her countenance. She shook her head slightly, simply muttering to herself that she was not married and was too young to be so. The guards did not hear her, but she wished they did as they made their way up the stairs and towards the throne room. Her heart began to thump rapidly within the chambers of her chest as lords and ladies bowed with extreme relief in their smiles. It seemed as if they knew her as well and it seemed for the time being that she indeed would have to play the part of a queen. She could pretend until she discovered a way to prove that she was not their majesty, then they would let her go find a way back to her own kingdom.

That is, however, if this wasn't some elaborate hoax which she almost hoped it would be…

They passed through room after room until they saw a cavernous passage way that was blocked by a thick, red satin curtain. An attendant pulled on a silk rope and the curtain spread apart to reveal a room full of servants and noblemen and women who applauded at a dumbstruck Marle. It was not the crowd that made her become dumbstruck, although they served a part in it. It was the throne room itself which was identical to her castle; right down to very centimeter in length. Suddenly, something seemed terribly wrong as she realized she could no longer dispute within herself. This was Guardia castle, but the home she grew up in was housed by strangers.

Just what has happened?

The audience knelt on one knee as she walked done an isle of red carpet. She felt so out of place at that moment, being paid homage to while she was wearing white linen that was filthy from her travels. However, these people did not seem to mind, seemingly excusing it because of more dire circumstances. She looked at the king who had the most content and joyful smile on his face. She did not know the proceedings, but she knew that the king had acted out of order when he leapt to his feet and ran towards Marle. Tears began to stream down his eyes as he embraced Marle, kissing her cheek.

At that moment, Marle became very stiff and rigid, not wanting to move and petrified by such an odd greeting. He kept whispering into her ear that he was so happy to have her back and that god had smiled on his fortune. He took her by her shoulders at that point and looked into eyes happily, but his happiness faded as he saw his supposed wife glancing about nervously. Then, at that moment, the king felt a horrible sinking feeling within his heart as he motioned for the leader of the same group of soldiers to come closer.

He obeyed quickly and was at his side in moments. He knelt before addressing his highness and asked what he needed of him. The king looked at him with a type of dawning horror as he glanced at his wife who seemed very disconsolate. "What happened to my queen? Why are her spirits so low?" The king asked very urgently as if doing so would give him a faster answer.

The soldier shook his head as he said, "May I have a word in private, your majesty?"

"My wife has the privilege to hear what her subjects may say…"

"But sire, this is a matter of severe importance…" The soldier said, trying to be persistent but respectful all the same.

"And I say that since she is a part of it, she may stay. Has she been physically taken advantage of by the enemy?" The king said, his eyes becoming misty.

"No!" Marle said, very loudly and indignantly.

The king took her by her hands and smiled in relief, but was a little dismayed when she forced his hands off hers. That worried look returned as he looked the guard, astonished by such foreign behavior. The guard shook his head mournfully as he said, "Your majesty? May I speak freely? For what I may say could be offensive to thy ears." The king thought for a moment and then nodded his head hesitantly. The guard dared not to look at his face as he said, "I do fear that your wife is suffering some strange hysteria."

"You dare speak such things of my wife?" He said, growling like a beast.

"I am not your wife! My name is Marle! I don't live here!" Marle protested between clenched teeth so that the other attendants would not hear.

The king looked at the guard with livid eyes as he whispered fiercely, "What matter of trickery is this? Why does she not know me? What has happened to her? Why is she beside herself?"

At this moment there is a sinister man that comes into play. He was short in stature with a long, flowing, silvery beard that went down to his stubby knees. Notwithstanding his odd stature, he was one of the better dressed attendants and until Marle came in he was standing on the right side of the throne where his majesty sits on the right hand of the queen. This man had a deep secret that he managed to keep away from the people in the kingdom. When he saw that woman a strong confusion fogged his thoughts, but once he heard the strong disagreements from Marle he smiled darkly. For that moment, he hid his true nature as he approached the king as a meek and humble counselor. A plan flowed like a river into his thoughts…

"Your majesty," he said in a kind, creaky voice, "I have heard this brave knight's observation and I agree with it."

"You as well, counselor?" The king said as if he were being betrayed.

"My liege, please just consider the strain she must have undergone! For more then a week she has been missing, going through more horror than we can imagine!"

The king rubbed his beard as he thought on this.

"Surely, when you are overworked your mind becomes stressed and occasionally your mood changes. What she has undergone is far more severe."

"If she does suffer from dementia, do you believe she will overcome it?" The king said hopefully.

"I am not crazy!" Marle said, clenching her fists.

The group almost seemed to ignore her completely, now that they were entertaining this new theory, "She would only need to rest, your majesty."

His majesty clapped his heavily jeweled fingers together as he felt a wave of warm joy spread over him. He looked at Marle whom was glaring at the short counselor. She turned her anger away, feeling the king's weighty hand on her bare shoulder, "I am so sorry my dear! I took no consideration of what distress you must have undergone! Please! Retire to your chambers and rest. I am sure this week must have left a horrible mark on your well-being!" He turned to the soldier who hesitated to make eye contact, "I am sorry, captain. Please understand that I was very distressed and my reaction to your observation was out of line."

The captain smiled, saying, "All is well, your highness. I understand completely."

"You have one final task:" the king said with a humorous smile, "Will you escort the queen to her room?"

"As you wish it…"

The impromptu princess was being led against her will up a staircase that led to her own quarters as the king turned about to the audience, explaining that his queen was tired from the labors of her bondage. The party went on without the queen as the soldier took her to a room that seemed very much like her own. She looked at him, rather puzzled as he sent in a team of maids who proceeded to wash her and dress her in attire that was definitely fitting for a queen. Before she knew it, she was adorned in a silk dress that felt lighter than air. Her arms were covered in smooth, white gloves that fit her perfectly. Her hair was pulled and twisted so that it sat on her head perfectly, not a single strand out of place. Even she began to feel a lighter mood, having changed from her dirty clothes. She was outfitted with jewels that could compete with the splendor of Melchoir's jewels. By the end of it all, she was actually enjoying the change.

She thanked the maids who bowed politely, excusing themselves from the room. She sighed, happy to finally be alone and think about how she could fix this situation and make things right. As she did, she looked about her room and was amazed at the certain things she found. There were all manner of jewels, which she had a vast majority of, but the art on each one was different and somehow it seemed more valuable.

Suddenly…

She noticed a drawer that was slightly open and something told her to take a look. She was expecting more jewelry and that was what she did find, but she found one thing she never expected to see again. A blue jewel sat in a keepsake box. The jewel was masterfully crafted and the work was in a mixture of gold and silver. A cold feeling came over her as she held it in her hand. It was her pendant! At that moment, she looked up and saw a mirror. As she looked into the mirror she admitted that she did look like someone else. Almost as if fate wanted to leave no mistake, there was a grand portrait that hung on the wall. Imagine her shock when she saw that it was Queen Nadia of a distant time. Now imagine, if you will, her shock when she realized that she looked exactly like her…

- - - - - - - - - -

And now we return to the young man's situation during the afternoon following Marle's shocking discovery. The cart came to stop and Crono felt his arms being liberated. He sighed in content, glad to feel the pressure from his bonds off his skin. Even still, this pleasantry was short lived as he was lifted off the cart and was forced to have his hands tied behind him again. The guard, seemingly enjoying the abuse he gave his captive, pulled on the rope until it began to rub Crono's skin raw.

"That is a little tight." Crono said, in a sarcastic civic manner.

"Well, that is the idea, isn't it?" The guard replied with a nasty smile.

They pushed him forward, and the huge doors swung open as the attendants looked over Crono with accusing stares. Crono frowned at them back, trying to say to them with a single expression that if he could he would seriously hurt them. Crono was usually a very easy-going person, but he did not like this strange country that arrested foreigners and not tell them why. At that moment he was ready to resist and lash out in annoyance against his captors.

When he entered the castle, he quickly changed his mind. Before him and all around him were soldiers armed to the teeth with sharp swords, crossbows, spears, daggers, and every other weapon imaginable. All of them eyed Crono with a look of disgust as he was led up the stairway towards some unknown room. He continued to walk forward as certain people that seemed as if they were part of some royal court began to whisper excitedly amongst themselves…

"So that is the assassin that kidnapped Nadia?"

"He doesn't seem so vicious."

"An assassin is someone you can never determine with your own eyes."

"Will he be executed before the king?"

Suddenly Crono's face turned a deadly pale white. Executed? What has he done to deserve execution? His head felt dizzy as the true situation began to dawn on him and he realized that this was not a slap on the wrist. This bizarre kingdom was crying for his blood. But for what? He was at a loss, not knowing his crime or fully understanding the circumstances. So what would he do? Of course there was only one thing to do at this point...

Run like hell…

With all his weight he shoulder slammed the guard on his left, knocking him down to the hard, checker-tiled floor. He was about to do the same to his other escort, but decided quickly to turn about and run towards the way he came. The surprised guards and noblemen only gawked as he dashed madly down the stairs, his hands tied behind him. It took a few seconds for the entire castle to gather their wits about them and shout out that an assassin was on the loose. A cascade of angry voices filled the interior of the castle and unfortunately for Crono it alerted the guards at the entrance. They turned about and saw Crono at the top of another flight of stairs.

"Now we know for certain that he is the culprit! He is trying to escape!"

Crono suddenly realized that this was not the best of moves in his position, but it was too late to take it back now. He ran back the way he came and entered the dining room where a group of soldiers were just about to continue the pursuit. Crono hesitated a moment, and charged headfirst into the group of guards. It was humorous sight, the look on their faces, when they saw Crono charging towards them with his hands bound behind his back. His true intentions were evident when he leapt on the dining table, knocking glasses and plates to the ground, allowing them to shatter in all directions. The guard frantically reached over the table, desperately reaching for his feet, but Crono was nimble and agile. He leapt over on the other side, heading towards the throne room. A great cry went up, saying that he was off to kill the king and queen, but at this point Crono could not hear them and only concentrated on escaping. He could best be described as a bird trapped in a house, trying to find its way out.

A thick curtain blocked the view to the next room, and for all he knew it could be a brick wall, but he charged into it nonetheless. He emerged into the throne room, where a bewildered king and a surprised queen gasped in surprise. The guards were not surprised this time and they left the side of their masters and began to inch towards Crono. Just as he was about to duck through the curtain, it spread apart to reveal even more guards who were livid with frustration. Crono felt a sinking feeling as he realized there was no where left to go…This was the end…

"Stop!"

The whole assembly turned to the sound of that booming command, and everyone became confused as they saw that it was the very queen herself. She unseated herself from the throne as she parted the sea of soldiers until she reached a flustered Crono who vainly tried to form into words that he was not responsible for any crime. Imagine his surprise when the queen reached him and she had a look of heart-felt appreciation. She only looked at him, and to his surprise she smiled very brightly, even giving him a wink before she turned to the assembly. When she winked and smiled, something about her seemed very familiar…

"This is not my kidnapper! In fact, he saved my life when I was lost in the woods!"

A gasp went up from the audience as the guards knelt, almost as a sign of apology to the queen. She turned to Crono, a hand outstretched towards him as she explained that even though she did not know the identity of her captor, she knew that this was a good man. Crono, this whole time, was extremely puzzled, but was not quick to disagree with her, knowing what the consequence would be. Instead, he was extremely content to hear the queen create a quick story that involved him freeing her from an enemy encampment in the woods, which was rumored to have a group called the Mystics wandering about. While he freed her, he distracted the enemy while she escaped down another path. The audience listened in revered silence, nodding at every detail. When she was done a terrible feeling of guilt went amongst the guards who quickly untied Crono's bands.

"What is your name, good sir?" Asked the king.

"Crono." He replied, very meekly, afraid of doing some other offense which would have an execution as a punishment.

"Do not be afraid, Crono. You have become a hero of our kingdom!" A general cheer came from all about them.

A creaky voice interrupted the queen as he stared at Crono with accusation, "You majesty, what if this is the effect of her majesty's frenzied mind?"

"Silence, counselor. You have seen it the night before. The queen has admitted to her dementia, which you agreed was a sign of recovery…"

"Sire…"

"Leave, counselor…The matter is closed." The king said curtly.

The counselor left the throne room, looking furious as he stomped his way towards the west wing of the castle. Meanwhile, Crono only sighed in relief as the king offered him a place to sleep and eat. All the while, he felt uneasy as he felt the queen eyeing him the entire time. Something in him shouted out that she was not the queen, but who was he to refuse after she had saved his life? He would found out what she truly was later that evening…