The Gemini
Chapter Four
Beatrix's room was beautiful. Old swords that were welded for beauty ornamented the north wall. Her furniture was haunting, made of mahogany wood with cushions of exquisite silk. High-backed chairs decorated bare spaces, and a large four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room, like a centerpiece. Magnificent tapestries that hung on various walls told of ancient wars and stories from mythology.
But the most delicious element of all was a large, overstuffed couch sitting in one corner. It was the most beautiful item of the room, made of deep red velvet. It was strangely erotic, and Steiner couldn't help the but see mental images of a naked Beatrix lounging across it.
He could stop himself from proposing the idea to her, though. They were not in her room to divulge eachother in sexual fantasies.
Even though they both wanted to.
Steiner doubted that that was the reason Beatrix called him to her. Besides, everyday he told himself that he didn't want Beatrix's body at all. All that he wanted from the General was her soul and her love. Her body could wait until they got married.
That's what Steiner told himself.
That wasn't what he wanted.
That's what he told himself.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Beatrix asked.
Her voice startled Steiner, as it did every time she spoke. How could someone's voice be so perfect? Each syllable she uttered created a new sort of beauty. Her speech was precise and commanding, yet Steiner could hear empathy and understanding in her harsh words. The timbre of her voice was somehow mythical, as if she were a Grecian Siren. Steiner was sure she could allure men into jumping into the sea if she wanted too.
"Yes, it's quite lovely. Where did you obtain this collection?"
Beatrix smiled wryly, a smile that Steiner found extremely seductive. "Everywhere. Some of the furnishing where in the room when I first got it, though."
"Ah . . ." Steiner said. He wanted Beatrix to talk some more. Her voice was his music and he wanted to hear more of it.
Plus, Steiner could never find the right words when he was with Beatrix. Her heard beautiful poems in his head, words that told her exactly what he felt. When he was with her, though, the poetry left him. Eloquence left him. Yes, he could still talk to her . . .
But never in the right words.
"Steiner, I . . . I'm confused." She said suddenly.
"About Garnet?"
There was that that beautiful wry smile again . . .
"Yes, of course."
"Ah . . ." Steiner said again. Then he shook his head curtly. Say some more, idiot! He told himself. This is your chance to really get her! She likes you. You like her. So say something intelligent!
The Captain of the Pluto Knights cleared his throat. "Me too. I mean . . . Garnet must be happy like this. Garnet-I mean, Dagger seems overjoyed. All she can do is fondle that monkey, stare at him with hearts in her eyes . . . As for Garnet, who knows what she's feeling. Her face is oddly impassive. It was like that before, but now her expression seems like even more stone. Do you think she is forcing herself to hide her true feelings? That is what she looks like when she's trying to pretend to not be upset! I have known the Queen for forever, is seems. I know her like I know the back of my hand! I do not think that Garnet is happy. She looks at Zidane with that face of stone . . . It looks like she loves him, Beatrix, but cannot show it. Like she hates Dagger. If she hates Dagger, she hates herself! I cannot, I refuse, to accept our queen as two different people! It is completely absurd! I do not have an explanation for WHY she has split in half, but just because she somehow performed this insane feat does not make her two people! This could lead to suicide, Beatrix!"
Upon finishing this tirade, Steiner's face turned into a beautiful shade of red. Beatrix asked him into her room- her very room, to talk to him. She didn't want to listen to Steiner talk about his feelings! No! You idiot, Steiner! IDIOT!
Beatrix didn't seem to mind, though. She watched Steiner with an emotionless face. She was silent for a few agonizing seconds, until saying "That's exactly what I feel. It could lead to the death of the queen. We must protect her from all harm, and she is harming herself. But how do we defend her from herself?"
*****
Memories.
Memories Eiko never knew she possessed.
She had to call upon those memories.
Memories of Sarah, of the way she was before Garnet took over.
Sarah was dead. Eiko had to revive her.
The deceased are always alive in memories.
*****
Garnet was tired. Tired of Dagger, tired of Zidane, tired of people in general. She wanted to retreat to her room and lay on her bed and do nothing. Say nothing. Be nothing.
Yes, that's it. She wanted to be nothing.
Of course, that's impossible, she thought to herself. Nobody can be nothing. If someone were nothing, then they would be something!
A small smile formed on her lips. She loved paradoxes. They gave her something to think about when she was forced to sit in council meetings. She never did anything at those engagements besides sign a few papers. Alexandria didn't need a queen. Steiner, Beatrix, and Tot did all the paper work for her. All Garnet ever did was sit and smile prettily.
Like a doll.
Garnet was a doll.
She knew this was going to be her fate ever since she could remember. Brahne raised her on beauty and manners. Her adopted mother never taught her about politics or what to do when an enemy attacks. Garnet had no idea what one was supposed to do about citizens who where unhappy about the laws.
Essentially, she knew nothing.
These thoughts depressed her, though. Garnet didn't want to be depressed. Garnet just wanted to go to her room and rest. Thusly, she was headed towards her quarters.
There was a problem with her plan, though. As Garnet arrived at her accommodations, she noticed a familiar figure sitting on her bed.
Dagger was in there.
In Garnet's room! Dagger was a commoner, wasn't she? What was she doing in the queen's room?
"Who do you think you are!" asked Garnet. She stormed into the place, fists clenched and small mouth contorted in anger. "This isn't your place! Get out!"
Dagger looked up at Garnet quizzically. "Don't get so mad!" she said, standing up and walking towards her twin. "We really need to talk about things like this. First off, if this isn't my room, where do I sleep? And there are other things. Like-"
"Everything is mine!"
Dagger blinked. "What do you mean?"
Garnet stared at Dagger for a while before beginning to speak again. "All this belongs to me! You never lived in the castle, Dagger! You were off with Zidane. When Zidane was gone, you were gone. All this is mine! You, Dagger, you are a vagabond! You have no possessions other then the clothes on your back!"
Dagger shook her head, disbelieving. "You're not being fair!"
"Not being fair? What do you mean! When Zidane "created" you, you had nothing. So you still have nothing!"
Dagger stepped backwards, confused. Garnet expected that. Dagger was optimistic. She had been "raised" on the road, so to speak. In those conditions, you either give up or keep going. Dagger kept on going. She saw good in everyone and everything. Of course she would of thought that Garnet would treat her like a sister!
But Garnet wouldn't. The only thing she and Dagger had in common was that they looked the same.
"Garnet, we can work something out! Come on!"
"Do you think Zidane is going to stay in the castle? No, he won't! And I know that wherever he goes, you will go. So does it matter if you have a place to stay?"
Dagger shook her head again. "So that's what this is about," she said, biting her lip. "Your jealous of me and Zidane."
Now it was Garnet's turn to step backwards. Dagger had hit a nerve. An extremely sensitive and private nerve.
"I don't care about you or that thief," Garnet said. "But I refuse to have an insolent little girl stay in my castle. You get out now, Dagger."
"Garnet, please! You're being ridiculous!"
"I want you out!"