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"Alright, a little to the left. There, perfect." Steiner listened to Marcus guide him through the darkness. Rather, Marcus guided a blindfolded Steiner while the big knight stretched out his hands to feel for obstacles. "Now, remember what we told you?" With a dubious expression, Steiner reviewed his romantic mission. "You will lead her to me. On your signal, I will remove my blindfold and confess my love to her." "Right on!" Cinna piped up from somewhere off to Steiner's left. "I still don't understand why I have to wear a blindfold," Steiner remarked with a frown. Barely able to contain his laughter, Cinna opened his hammer, revealing to Marcus that the empty cavity in the hammer's head was ready. Marcus nodded to his partner in crime and then coughed to Steiner. "Well, because, it's supposed to be a surprise for both of you." Steiner knotted his brow but before he could protest, Marcus gave him a shove through an open door. "C'mon, c'mon or we'll miss our cue!" While Marcus fussed over Steiner's positioning, Cinna made a quick lap around the room lifting anything that looked valuable and small enough to fit into the hammer's head. A necklace here, a pair of earrings there, and some of Beatrix's undergarments made for fine trophies. Cinna clutched the panties in his fist wondering if he even wanted to put them up for sale. A meaty fist on the back of his head brought him back from his daydreams. Marcus gave the smaller man a push toward the door and then called out to Steiner, "Now we're going to bring Beatrix in. Remember, when I say 'when' pull off your mask." Steiner simply nodded. Cinna tiptoed to the door, one hand clasped firmly over his whiskered face to stifle the laughter. His belly jiggled with the choked snickering. Marcus gave the roly-poly man a firm boot to the butt and then ran to the door Steiner was facing. His rough knuckles rapped on the door three times. "General Beatrix!" he called out in a voice that sounded vaguely feminine. Steiner cocked a brow. Weren't they supposed to be leading Beatrix in? Ah well. The swashbucklers must know what they're doing. Those types always get the girl, afterall. The big man rolled his shoulders and waited for his cue with anticipation. Hearing some noise within the room behind the door, Marcus shuffled away to join Cinna outside the bedroom in the hallway. He closed the door most of the way and watched through the narrow crack. The door on which he'd knocked inched open and upon seeing Beatrix's foot, he yelled, "WHEN!" At the signal Steiner tore off his blindfold, Cinna and Marcus took flight, and the beautiful general stood in the doorway wrapped tightly in a towel and dripping from her bath. Steiner's jaw hit the floor. Beatrix's hair, usually so carefully groomed rested on her shoulders in dark curlicews. Water glistened on her shoulders and over the tops of her firm white breasts. The towel clung tightly to her curves, straining over her shapely hips and thighs. With a heavy gulp, Steiner forced himself to look back up. In his stunned state, Steiner was at leisure to watch a furious flush build up from Beatrix's chest, to her neck, and finally to spread across her cheeks. He only had a slim moment to react before she swept up a nearby wooden chair and lifted it over her head. "GET OUT!" she roared. Steiner backed away, raising his hands to shield his face. "But Beatrix, I-" "GET OUT YOU PERVERT!" She swung the chair, turning an otherwise harmless piece of furniture into a deadly weapon. "But Beatrix, you don't under-" For the second time in a month, her door slammed in his face. "-stand," he finished with a pathetic sigh. The moment of regret and fear was over, though, as the fires of righteous indignation swelled up from his chest. He clutched his fists and jumped up and down. How could have been tricked so easily?! He had to get them. But wait, he couldn't just call the guards. What if he had to explain what just happened? With a growled curse, he ran down the hall, hopefully after the two Tantalus members. He saw no sign of them down each new hallway. The female guards watched him curiously. Nothing seemed out of place so how could they have gotten away? With a grim expression, Steiner stalked directly out of the castle and toward the city proper. The gondola ride across the moat did little to cool his anger. After it docked on the opposite shore, Steiner leapt out of the gondola, passed through the arch and into the market court. He stomped a path directly to his right and down the back alley. Alexandrian citizens gave him a wide berth. Steiner knew it wouldn't be prudent to draw his sword. Not yet anyway. He didn't want the people to panic and he didn't care to explain to the Alexandrian guard what his little vendetta was about. As he turned the corner, he could see the underside of the Prima Vista just over the rooftops. "DAMMIT!" he roared. They were getting away. Waving a hand over his head, he chased after the theater ship, ordering it to stop. Not until he reached the end of the alley did he realize the futility of his actions. Embarrassed and still outraged, he slammed a fist into a nearby wall, chipping away the yellowed plaster. "Whoa! What in tarnation?" a sweet voice behind him demanded. "Cap'n Steiner? That you honey? What's got yer goat?" Steiner turned and raised a finger to her face. Furious words gathered on his tongue, and spittle foamed on his lips. Ruby wasn't a part of Tantalus anymore, though, and to accusing her of what just happened would be wrong. He lost his bluster quickly as he stared into her wide, surprised eyes. "Ah'm sorry, Cap'n. Whatever Ah said" Ruby took a prudent step back and hugged her bag of groceries. Steiner lowered his finger and released a heavy sigh. "No, ma'am. You're not the one who deserves my anger. When I catch your friends Marcus and -and whatever that shorter man's name is, I'll show them my wrath!" Ruby 'uh-ohed' and glanced up at the retreating theater ship. "Now what could Marcus an' Cinna have done tah go an' upset ya so much, sir?" In embarrassment, Steiner related the story to Ruby. As they talked, Ruby led him back down to her small theater where Lowell was up on stage reciting some angsty poetry. Ruby handed off her grocery bag to an employee and joined Steiner at a table. "Well, Ah do declare. Next time Ah see those two, they're gonna get a tongue lashin'." She rested a hand on Steiner's armored shoulder and lent him a sympathetic expression. "Ya just can't mess around with a person's heart like that where love's concerned." Steiner just looked defeated and spent as he stared into the mug of mead Ruby had provided. Certainly the young actress was being nice to him, but he'd had enough of strangers' sympathy or supposed symapthies for the day. He paid her little mind as she kept talking. Instead, he looked for what he might say to Beatrix to convince her to forgive him. What he had been led to do was very ungentlemanly. "Steiner-honey, are ya'll listenin' tah me?" Ruby stared at the big knight from across the table. "Hm? My apologies madam. Of course I'm listening. Please go on." The response was mechanical, but he really didn't care until she spoke the magic word. "Queen Garnet." Steiner snapped to attention and peered Ruby in the eye. "Excuse me?" "Ah said, Ah need tah speak with Queen Garnet, honey. Ya'll think ya can arrange that, hm?" With a suspicious eye, Steiner finally nodded. "I can. What do you plan on doing?" "Ah plan on helpin' ya get tah yer woman, man!" Ruby smiled as she stood. "Don't worry. We gals are on good terms, the Queen an' me. Ya'll just gotta leave it ta us an' we'll get you an' the general together." Her confidence was infectious, but Steiner was still wary of her playful wink. Then again, if she were dealing with the Queen there was little way that he could be led into a trap. Garnet hadn't really been in a mischievous mood since losing Zidane. The big knight finally conceeded a nod. He stood, informing Ruby, "I will find you audience tomorrow, madam. A messenger will be sent to notify you." Then in a less formal tone, he said, "Thank you for your concern for my welfare. I take back what I said about those Tantalus scoundrels." Ruby chuckled and shook her head. "Naw. Don't ya'll take that back. They certainly derserve it, honey. Don't ya worry yer head about it, though. Ruby'll take care of ya! Go on now, git, ya crazy lovebird." Steiner allowed the woman a brief smile and then took his leave. After
topping the stairs out of the theater he realized how much he was going
to dread facing Beatrix for the rest of the night. Maybe he could just
avoid her by taking up a patrol in the lower floors of the castle. Author's note: I've been so mean to Steiner. In the next chapter I'll make it up to him ^_- |
