I decided a week is way to long to wait between chapters, I think I'll post
on Thursday's too. Thank you to my reviewers Diana and blah, I really
appreciate your comments! *^_^*
PS: Some of the dialogue in this chapter and future ones is taken directly out of the game. Any dialogue that you recognize, usually in the flashbacks, is owned by Squaresoft, as is Final Fantasy IX and any characters and events that I haven't created.
-Chapter One-
Rumor started it all.
~*~*~*~
"And Queen Garnet, my dearest, if you accept my proposal, I shall forever make you happy. I will fulfill your every request! Respond to your every whim! Please, I beg of you, accept my offer." Garnet shifted her eyes away from the window momentarily when she heard the flow of words cease. Breathing out a small sigh, she turned only slightly more forward from her current twisted position. Her current demeanor clearly explained that she wanted out of the chair and into her warm bed as soon as possible.
"I am very flattered by your request for my hand in marriage and I shall keep you in mind. I have not made my decision yet, but be reassured that your visit will be taken into consideration." She stood up, curtsied, and left the room, another tantrum throwing Noble behind her.
"Your highness, please, can't you at least consider any of them?" A strong, pleading voice sounded from behind her. Garnet turned to be face to face with her head bodyguard and most trusted confidante.
"Beatrix, try to understand, this is very hard for me to do."
"But your birthday is in a few short days, your highness, I strongly advise you to at least listen to these men." With a swish of her skirt, the brunette turned her back.
"I'm going to be going to my room now, you and Steiner may have the rest of the day off. Please instruct the rest of the staff that I would like to be left alone for the remainder of the day." Dainty hands gathered up the ruffles of her pastel pink, satin gown as she began to ascend the long stairwell.
"Garnet!" Beatrix called. "This is not healthy! You can't be like this! All you do is sit in your room. Everyone is worried sick about you, I haven't seen you smile since. since." The rustling stopped as she paused on the steps.
"He's coming back to me."
"Garnet, we searched the entire Iifa tree, the surrounding areas, everywhere. There was no trace of him. You just have to accept the fact that he-"
"I will never accept that. He is alive and he will be found." Grabbing more of the ruffles into her hands, Garnet raced up to her bedroom, slamming the door.
"Your highness." A tear rolled it's way down Beatrix's cheek and another soon followed. "I want him to be found as much as you. I hate to see you this way... but it'd be easiest if you would just accept the truth."
~*~*~*~
Her back hit the door as it slammed, resting against it momentarily as tears overflowed from her eyes. Pulling a string from the back of her dress, the mass fall at her feet. Stepping over it, the distraught queen crawled into the security of her bed. Once safely under her sheets, she moved the single ring from her middle finger to it's rightful place on her ring. She held her hand out away from her face, admiring the simple gold band, turning it making the three, small diamonds each catch rays of sunlight.
"Zidane." She closed her eyes, her mind always drifted to thoughts of him.
~*~*~*~
"Zidane." Garnet pleaded to him with her knowing eyes. Zidane got down on one knee and held her delicate hand into his gloved ones.
"Dagger - I mean, Your Highness. The abduction is over. I can't take you any further.." He bent his head down. "I'm sorry for being so selfish." Garnet felt her eyes brim with tears. She wasn't going to cry, she owed him that much.
"No. You're not being selfish." Placing her other hand over his, she pulled him up to eye level. "You've done so much for us." Her eyes continued to burn. They went downwards. "If it weren't for you, I probably would've led a meaningless life. With you, I was able to see so much of the world and meet so many people. We faced many hardships, too. but." Her chocolate eyes met the clearest green. "I think I finally know what's important." With all the strength she had left, her mouth curved it's sides into a smile. "I'm so fortunate to have met you. I'll never forget our trip together.." One disobeying tear slid down her cheek. "Thank you, Zidane." One hand dropped out of her grasp, though he continued to read into her thoughts through her eyes. He looked almost scared, afraid, timid, like a little boy in a thunderstorm. She had to be strong. for him. "Promise me one thing." He stared more intently into her, as if he was trying to memorize everything about her, so he would never. forget. "Please come back." She searched his face for a reaction, trying to predict his next move. Neither moved their gaze as a ring was slowly slipped onto Garnet's left hand. Words wouldn't form. Her voice stopped working. Nothing could come out. A thousand thoughts ran through her head at once, none of them turning into anything logical. Seemingly satisfied with his reaction, he plastered his trademark grin across his face.
Steiner broke in. "Your highness, we have to go." Garnet nodded in a quickened stagger. Slowly, she walked towards the airship continually glancing back, unable to speak. Zidane stood there smiling at her, his gaze unchanging. The second she stepped onto the ship, it began to leave the ground. She ran through the ship, through the winding corridors and endless steps until she found the balcony. Finally hitting the rail, she looked over the edge and caught his gaze once again. She smiled back at him, leaned forward slightly, and called, "Yes!"
~*~*~*~
Her arms rested against the cold marble of her balcony's railing. The bed sheet was wrapped tightly around her figure. She sang her song, their song, the one that would always keep them together. Every night she sang, for when she did, once again Zidane's presence could be there, as if he had never left, as if he were right there singing with her. When she closed her eyes, she could once again hear his voice, see his smile, feel his fingers running through her hair. She remembered everything about him. One finger traced the outline of his face into the sky, like she had many times before. She could almost hear him singing with her, much lower, smoother, and almost sultry. Singing her to sleep.
But he wasn't there.
"Maybe I should just. accept it." The cement iced her back, as she lay down once again. "Maybe I should choose a husband." She put the hand that held ring in front of her once more. "Maybe he really is. dead."
Please remember to review and tell me what you think! *^_^*
Hugs and Fruitcakes,
Mimi
PS: Some of the dialogue in this chapter and future ones is taken directly out of the game. Any dialogue that you recognize, usually in the flashbacks, is owned by Squaresoft, as is Final Fantasy IX and any characters and events that I haven't created.
-Chapter One-
Rumor started it all.
~*~*~*~
"And Queen Garnet, my dearest, if you accept my proposal, I shall forever make you happy. I will fulfill your every request! Respond to your every whim! Please, I beg of you, accept my offer." Garnet shifted her eyes away from the window momentarily when she heard the flow of words cease. Breathing out a small sigh, she turned only slightly more forward from her current twisted position. Her current demeanor clearly explained that she wanted out of the chair and into her warm bed as soon as possible.
"I am very flattered by your request for my hand in marriage and I shall keep you in mind. I have not made my decision yet, but be reassured that your visit will be taken into consideration." She stood up, curtsied, and left the room, another tantrum throwing Noble behind her.
"Your highness, please, can't you at least consider any of them?" A strong, pleading voice sounded from behind her. Garnet turned to be face to face with her head bodyguard and most trusted confidante.
"Beatrix, try to understand, this is very hard for me to do."
"But your birthday is in a few short days, your highness, I strongly advise you to at least listen to these men." With a swish of her skirt, the brunette turned her back.
"I'm going to be going to my room now, you and Steiner may have the rest of the day off. Please instruct the rest of the staff that I would like to be left alone for the remainder of the day." Dainty hands gathered up the ruffles of her pastel pink, satin gown as she began to ascend the long stairwell.
"Garnet!" Beatrix called. "This is not healthy! You can't be like this! All you do is sit in your room. Everyone is worried sick about you, I haven't seen you smile since. since." The rustling stopped as she paused on the steps.
"He's coming back to me."
"Garnet, we searched the entire Iifa tree, the surrounding areas, everywhere. There was no trace of him. You just have to accept the fact that he-"
"I will never accept that. He is alive and he will be found." Grabbing more of the ruffles into her hands, Garnet raced up to her bedroom, slamming the door.
"Your highness." A tear rolled it's way down Beatrix's cheek and another soon followed. "I want him to be found as much as you. I hate to see you this way... but it'd be easiest if you would just accept the truth."
~*~*~*~
Her back hit the door as it slammed, resting against it momentarily as tears overflowed from her eyes. Pulling a string from the back of her dress, the mass fall at her feet. Stepping over it, the distraught queen crawled into the security of her bed. Once safely under her sheets, she moved the single ring from her middle finger to it's rightful place on her ring. She held her hand out away from her face, admiring the simple gold band, turning it making the three, small diamonds each catch rays of sunlight.
"Zidane." She closed her eyes, her mind always drifted to thoughts of him.
~*~*~*~
"Zidane." Garnet pleaded to him with her knowing eyes. Zidane got down on one knee and held her delicate hand into his gloved ones.
"Dagger - I mean, Your Highness. The abduction is over. I can't take you any further.." He bent his head down. "I'm sorry for being so selfish." Garnet felt her eyes brim with tears. She wasn't going to cry, she owed him that much.
"No. You're not being selfish." Placing her other hand over his, she pulled him up to eye level. "You've done so much for us." Her eyes continued to burn. They went downwards. "If it weren't for you, I probably would've led a meaningless life. With you, I was able to see so much of the world and meet so many people. We faced many hardships, too. but." Her chocolate eyes met the clearest green. "I think I finally know what's important." With all the strength she had left, her mouth curved it's sides into a smile. "I'm so fortunate to have met you. I'll never forget our trip together.." One disobeying tear slid down her cheek. "Thank you, Zidane." One hand dropped out of her grasp, though he continued to read into her thoughts through her eyes. He looked almost scared, afraid, timid, like a little boy in a thunderstorm. She had to be strong. for him. "Promise me one thing." He stared more intently into her, as if he was trying to memorize everything about her, so he would never. forget. "Please come back." She searched his face for a reaction, trying to predict his next move. Neither moved their gaze as a ring was slowly slipped onto Garnet's left hand. Words wouldn't form. Her voice stopped working. Nothing could come out. A thousand thoughts ran through her head at once, none of them turning into anything logical. Seemingly satisfied with his reaction, he plastered his trademark grin across his face.
Steiner broke in. "Your highness, we have to go." Garnet nodded in a quickened stagger. Slowly, she walked towards the airship continually glancing back, unable to speak. Zidane stood there smiling at her, his gaze unchanging. The second she stepped onto the ship, it began to leave the ground. She ran through the ship, through the winding corridors and endless steps until she found the balcony. Finally hitting the rail, she looked over the edge and caught his gaze once again. She smiled back at him, leaned forward slightly, and called, "Yes!"
~*~*~*~
Her arms rested against the cold marble of her balcony's railing. The bed sheet was wrapped tightly around her figure. She sang her song, their song, the one that would always keep them together. Every night she sang, for when she did, once again Zidane's presence could be there, as if he had never left, as if he were right there singing with her. When she closed her eyes, she could once again hear his voice, see his smile, feel his fingers running through her hair. She remembered everything about him. One finger traced the outline of his face into the sky, like she had many times before. She could almost hear him singing with her, much lower, smoother, and almost sultry. Singing her to sleep.
But he wasn't there.
"Maybe I should just. accept it." The cement iced her back, as she lay down once again. "Maybe I should choose a husband." She put the hand that held ring in front of her once more. "Maybe he really is. dead."
Please remember to review and tell me what you think! *^_^*
Hugs and Fruitcakes,
Mimi