Maybe I ought to have mentioned this before... I do not own the world this
happens in, or most of the main characters! There will be one in this
chapter that I created, Veranda, but that´s all! I own the plot, but
nothing more! Thank you!!
Chapter 3
// death //
For another week they searched the city, but there was no sign of the woman or her followers, if there were any. Blank was getting really impatient, and the headache was getting ever worse and was closing to be more than he would be able to handle. Now he spent most of his time alone in his room, but Tantalus had not left the city now that the woman had struck again. Blank hated this. He hated the waiting. Now that they could not find them all they could do was to wait for another clue and that meant they had to wait until they struck again.
Ick, Blank thought, lying on his bed. Why couldn´t the wedding just go smoothly and we would have gotten out of here a long time ago. I miss the theatre life! And stealing!! How long has it been since I stole something? God, I have to steal something! Soon! Tonight! FUCK this headache!! I can´t always lay like this whenever I.
But his selfpitying thoughts were suddenly stopped from the sound of the alert horns being blown. Blank raised himself up in the bed and shook his head. This could only mean one thing.
Blank ran to the door and headed, like always, to the main hall. But halfway there he saw people crowded in a circle out in the lobby.
Great, he thought. Always the last one to the sceen...
Blank could see Zidane´s lively tail lying flatly on the floor out of the crowd and hurried towards it. When he got closer he could see Vivi sitting by a wall, crying, and Eiko by his side trying to comfort him, and Garnet stood in Freya´s arms, burrying her face in the ratlike woman´s coat. Amarant and Beatrix stood expressionless in front of the door and Blank could see Steiner behind them talking to a guard. But the sight of his fellow Tantalus members frightened Blank the most. Their faces were disfigured with obvious pain and when Baku spotted Blank he just shook his head in defeat, looked briefly down on the floor and then back at Blank, his eyes filled with doubt. But Blank could not see the floor because of the crowd of guards.
When Blank was only about six feet away from Zidane, Zidane suddenly looked up and stared straight in Blank´s face. Then without saying a word he stood up and walked slowly to Blank, who had stopped dead in his tracks. He had cought a glimpse at the victim and had frozen in his steps.
No, he thought.
Zidane placed his right hand on Blank´s left shoulder and bowed his head.
'I´m sorry, man.' he whispered, his voice sounding strangely far away to Blank.
Is it.?
'Vivi and Eiko were here when. it happened. but they´re too upset to tell us anything.' Blank thought he could hear Zidane say, but was not really sure. His hearing was not working properly.
Was it.?
'She´s gone, you know!' Zidane´s voice kept on.
Did I see.?
'The murderer I mean!' But Blank could not hear. His mind had figured it out, finally.
Ruby!
Her hair was lying on the floor, glittering as starlight. He had seen her gloved hand lying lifeless on the floor, her eyes closed and her throat wide open. Blood all over her dress and face, and all around her on the floor was an ocean of that red, thick liquid that seemed to burn Blank´s heart.
He pushed Zidane aside and half-ran to her. She was completely lifeless, or her body that is. First he looked at her startled, not believing what he saw, but slowly the horrible reality found it´s way inside his mind, forcing him to see the truth layed out before him. His eyes filled up with tears and he felt his body getting numb.
No! It´s just a horrible dream. My eyes are playing tricks on me!! It´s the belt! I´m seeing things! I´ve lost my mind! The headache! It´s GOT to be the headache!! Please, anything but this!
But there was no denying it. Ruby was lying on the floor, lifeless as an empty shell. As Blank knelt beside her he could hear Vivi´s cries. 'I just froze! I couldn´t move with fear! And then she cut her throat. and. we just went out for a cup of root-beer! I´m sorry!!'
Blank lifted up Ruby´s head, gently. He placed it in his lap and stroked her hair carefully with his left hand as if it was of pure gold. He stroked her hair again and again, not ever wanting to stop, not ever wanting to let her go. Only now he realized how much he loved her, but now it was too late! Blank cursed himself silently as he thought about the fact that he had not ever showed it to Ruby. Blank you STUPID COWARD!
'Come on.' Blank heard Marcus say. 'We´ve got to inspect her.'
But no! I don´t wanna let go!
Marcus pulled Ruby out of Blank´s hands and raised him to his feet. 'There may be more clues.' he said while walking Blank to the wall where Vivi sat, crying his eyes out. 'Just sit here,' Marcus said, but Blank did not seem to hear him. 'We´ll take care of the rest. You OK by yourself?'. When Blank did not show any signs of hearing Marcus asked one of Garnet´s maids to come sit next to him. The maid was dressed in a blue dress, with a white apron tightly bound around her waist and a white shirt. Very stylish actually, like Garnet wanted them, but Blank was in no mood to notice that.
It can´t be, it can´t be it can´t be it can´t be!
'Hiya, hon!' the maid said to him carefully while sitting down beside him, leaning against the wall. 'Do you really want to stay here?' she asked him carefully when he did not respond to her.
Blank, who had not even looked in the girl´s face, was staring on the floor, looking like he did not even see it. He did not move and his face was expressionless, like always. The girl looked at him, hesitating, not knowing what to do. She could not see his eyes so she was not sure if he was crying.
He wasn´t.
'Oh, sorry,' she blabbed then all of a sudden. 'Forgot to introduse myself! My name´s Veranda!' she said smiling at him.
That sentence seemed to have gotten through to Blank, because he looked up at the girl now. And stared.
'And your´s Blank, right?' she said, a little too cheerily maybe, she thought, but it was best not to act like in a burial. That would only make matters worse.
When Blank looked at her he realized that he had seen her before. She was the maid he had stopped for and told to evacuate the palace the night of the first murder. The same dark hair, short but mature, kind of pointy ears and blue eyes. She was not tall, but she was not short either. About the same height as he, to be precise. But Blank´s mind was not capable of coping with the fact that she was pretty. Not now...
'Come on, hon,' she said to him, pulling his arm, making him stand up. 'Let´s get out of here,' and she gently dragged him away from the hysteric crowd that was inspecting Ruby´s dead body.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Blank sat on the bed looking at the wall in front of him. Veranda was folding his trousers (A/N: Yes, he has trousers!!!) and putting them in his drawer, then dusting his nightstand and lamp. Then she looked at him. He had been sitting there ever since she brought him up, not speaking, not eating, not moving for the past 2 hours.
My god, isn´t he ever going to do anything? she asked herself, but she couldn´t find the answer, of course. After all, it was obvious that he was in quite a shock, much more than most of his companions, actually. It was the last thing she had expected of him. She had often seen him striding around the hallways of the palace, not looking at anyone, but himself looking very strange and, in some bizarre way, extremely important. She had bet he did not think so himself, but he was quite handsome, even though he looked like he had been sown together by god´s handicapped child from bits and bits of it´s own torn dolls. He had this glow about him that said he was something big. Even bigger than she herself could begin to imagine.
But she was not thinking about that, of course. Or that was what she told herself.
'Veranda?'
His voice startled her. She spun around to face him and saw him looking at her.
'Yes?' she answered.
'Why are you still here?'
The question surprised her.
'I´m here in case you´ll need any kind of help!' She chose the words carefully.
'I don´t need any help!' he said at her, maybe a little bit to harsh.
'Then that´s all right, hon!' she said, a little surprised. But then again, he was in a shock so she had to be extra considerate. 'I´ll be in the kitchen if you´ll need me later on!'
'I won´t!' he said, looking back at the wall.
Veranda opened her mouth to say something nice, but did not think of anything so she shut it again. Maybe it was better not to say anything. She left his room silently, leaving him still sitting on the bed, and walked to the kitchen.
She could not help but feeling a little hurt, after the way he had talked to her. She had always thought he looked like a nice guy. Maybe she had been wrong. His words had stung her deeply. How foolish, she thought to herself, to let a guy like this get under your skin! It´s not like I know the man!
In the kitchen the chef was preparing dinner.
'Lend me a hand, will ya?' he asked Veranda, pointing at the potatoes that were piled up on a table to her left. 'We need them ready, fried and hot, in about 15 minutes. Most of the girls are still in shock after that Ruby girl´s death, but you´re all right, ain´t ya?'
'Hm-mh!' she answered and started washing the potatoes, with her mind on other things.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dead.
Now that sounded a little strange.
He tried it again.
Dead.
. . still not fitting. .!
It had been her hand, her hair, her blood on the floor, but Blank still couldn´t cope with the idea.
No, he couldn´t think about it now.
He had sent, what was her name, Verdana, out. He had wanted to be alone, and he didn not really know her. She seemed friendly enough, but not now. This was not the time to make new friends. When the old ones get killed you don´t just replace them with the next friendly person.
Killed! He shuddered with the thought.
She had helped him alot though. If he had been alone there was no telling what he might have done! To himself or anyone else for that matter.
The numbness was deserting him now, and the reality begun to edge it´s way into his mind, playing tricks on him, making him feel. vulnerable and very foolish.
He had just cracked when he saw her. In front of everyone! He did not even stay there to investigate, or even went out to try to find the fucking bitch. That blonde, greenclad bitch who had killed Ruby. He had just froze, like Vivi. But Vivi was still a child, so no one expected more of him. But Blank was a grown man!
Ugh, he felt like a fool.
He thought if he would ever get to see her again. Ruby that was. Even dead she was still as beautiful as ever. Her skin had always been pale so the change was not much. But her eyes, god he missed those eyes, were now forever closed.
I´m getting too sentimental. That´s not like me at all! he thought, making an evil face and letting himself fall backwards on the bed. He had been sitting so still ever since he and Veranda had come up to his room. How long had it been? 15 minutes? 30? 8 hours? A week!? He did not really know, and did not really care.
Dead.
Now that word was sinking in.
Dead.
*~*~*~*~*~*
'Anything?' Beatrix asked Steiner after he had saluted her. He merely shook his head.
'The third time in a row that we haven´t been able to find her, my liege!' he answered grimly. 'We´ve found almost every wanted person in the kingdom searching for her, but never did we come across a place where.' he hesitated. '.they could be hiding!'
Beatrix nodded and walked away, Steiner saluting behind her. She went straight to see the King and Queen. It was strange to be now serving a royal pair, a King, not just a Queen. Zidane came across to her as a very special boy, or a man, and she did not fully trust him yet.
What was she thinking? It was not in her duty to question her superiors. She shook her head, halting. Don´t think about it, girl, she thought before she entered the royal chamber.
The door was open so she tapped lightly on it, to announce her presence. Garnet was standing near one window, looking out over the kingdom, and Zidane was standing behind her, holding her waist with one hand and petting her hair with the other. My, my, Beatrix thought. Aren´t we in love?
'Yes, Beatrix?' Garnet said when she noticed Beatrix standing at the door. She saluted and then made her statement. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Ekkert. Ingen ting. Garnet´s eyes went sad, even sadder than they had been.
'But we´re still trying, and will continue to do so, unless you decide otherwise!' Beatrix exclaimed.
'I feel just awful,' Garnet said, her voice barely audible. 'Ruby´s gone, and we can´t even find her murderer!' She looked at Zidane hopelessly for some comfort, but he looked even more lost than she did. Then he just put both his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. She laid her hands on his and bent her head to face the floor. Beatrix slowly made her way to the door.
Stomping down the hallway she could hear guards shouting but that was not uncomon and it did not interest her at all. She was lost in thoughts.
Why didn´t. they leave any clues? she asked herself. There was no letter! We searched the entire body of the girl! And why did she, the murderer, decide to attack inside the palace, in broad daylight in front of witnesses? And how did she get inside? Beatrix´s head was bursting with thought.
And the terrible fact that the victim had been a friend of the royal pair. And what a nice girl! Beatrix had talked to Ruby sometimes and found her quite adorable and deffinetly a honest person. It was bad to see her dead.
Horrible, just horrible, was the last thing she thought to herself before slamming into a dark cloaked figure.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dinner was served and the royal couple and all their friends attended. All but Vivi and Blank. Veranda was quite disappointed. She had wanted to talk more to Blank, just to see if he was OK, of course. What other reason could there be?
She had not heard from him after she left him alone in his room and was beginning to worry.
Why? She did not know. Compassion? No, she was not the emotional kind of girl. Maybe it was just curiosity. Yes, that was it! Curiosity! God, it was great to have some kind of reason.
Veranda had been put in the chore of filling glasses at the dinner table. It was quite a boring job, because she did not get to sit down once during the whole dinner, and sometimes it could last up to 2 or 3 hours. Now, after only 20 minutes, Veranda´s feet were killing her. Standing still was kind of hard when all you feet wanted to do was to run out of the dininghall and to Blank´s room.
Because that was what Veranda really desired to do.
But of course she did not admit it to herself.
Suddenly she saw Marcus hold up his glass, indicating that she was to fill it with wine. Veranda slowly walked to Marcus and started pouring the thin liquid into his glass. To her surprise Marcus spoke to her.
'Yo, where did you take him?' he asked without looking at her.
'Up to his room, my sir.' she answered lika a well trained maid.
'Don´t 'sir' or 'thou' me, please!' he said with a hint of disgust in his voice. 'Did he say anything?' he added.
'No, nothing, Marcus.'
He looked at her. 'You know my name?'
She blushed. 'Of course! You´re one of the Tantalus members, no?'
He nodded.
'I´ve been cleaning your rooms and once I brought you dinner to your room. I can´t help learning your names, si.' and she stopped, and blushed even more. 'It wasn´t supposed to sound sarcastic or anything.' she started but he cut her off, laughing.
'It´s OK, girl!' and he gulped down some wine. 'Jus' asking, that´s all! No big a deal!'
But his eyes spoke a different way.
Another glass was raised at the other end of the table, by Amarant, so Veranda excused herself and walked to the other end.
Amarant. He had always scared her, in a good sort of way, if there was one. He acted like a bad, tough, big guy, but she really thought he was different. No sissy, of course, but still not a bad guy.
But he still scared her.
Her feet continued to torment her as she poured Amarant some wine. The rest of the dinner was not any better.
*~*~*~*~*~*
'Halt!' Beatrix shouted at the dark figure, running down the hallway. She had not seen it before slamming into it, but now when she saw the guards racing after the figure she ran after it as hard as she could. There was of course no doubt in her mind that it was the killer. Who other would be hiding in the palace like that? What was she still doing there, anyways?
'Halt!!' Beatrix shouted again, but the dark figure did not seem to hear her and did not turn around. Not that Beatrix had expected that, really. But judging by the figures movements it was most deffinetely a woman, clad in green, just as Blank had described.
Blast it! Beatrix thought. She´s headed for the royal chambers!
If she would do something to the Queen Beatrix herself would do something VERY unpleasant to her!! But of course, she would not let anything happen to the Queen in the first place.
'Sound the alert horns!!' she ordered a guard that she ran past, and he ran up to the upper balconies.
Blast it, run FASTER! Beatrix demanded of herself. FASTER!
But all though she ran as fast as she could she could not keep up with the woman. The guards had given up a long time ago so now there were just the two of them.
Darn it, she turned to the right. But that isn´t the way to the Queen´s chamber.?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Blank, who had fallen asleep from his thoughts, woke up by the unpleasant sound of the alert horns.
Again?, he thought. Twice in one day? Very impressive!
He shook his head, that was not a proper thought.
Blank jumped out of bed and ran to the door. The headache was back and he could not quite see clearly.
He slammed up the door and stepped out in the hallway. Then suddenly he was ran into by a womanly figure, clad in a dark cloak. The figure halted for a moment, then reached out it´s hand and gripped at Blank´s right one, then continued down the hallway. Blank had not been able to see the woman´s face clearly, because of the headache. But he was able to hear Beatrix´s shouts.
'Stop that woman! Blank do something!!' he heard her scream, but was in no shape to grab the meaning of the words and put it in connection with what had just happened. He clutched his fist closed and rested himself against the wall besides the door. The cloakclad woman was out of sight and Beatrix came up to him, gasping for air, looking at him angrily, trying to find the words to fit.
'Why. didn´t. you. stop. her!?' she said while inhailing large amounts of air.
'Who?' Blank said in stupidity, holding his head.
'Who!?' Beatrix was shocked and raged. 'The darn woman who just killed your girlfriend this morning!!! Don´t you remember?' she shouted at him in disbelief.
'She wasn´t my girlfriend.' Blank explained carefully.
'Does that really matter now?' Beatrix asked with a hint of despair in her voice, laying one hand over her one revieled eye and shaking her head.
Blank looked at her with a hurt face, reached out his hand to grab Beatrix´s shoulder and was about to say something, when he saw a folded letter fall out of his palm. The woman had given it to him in that handshake. He looked at it in amazement for a while, until Beatrix, realizing he was not going to pick it up, bent down and recovered it from the floor. She turned it around in her hands, looking at it from all angles, and after making sure it was just an ordinary letter she handed it to Blank, who looked at her surprised.
'She handed it to you,' she said. 'Come now, open it!' She twitched her head backwards.
Blank silently took the letter out of Beatrix´s hand and unfolded it. It was written in those perfect letters, like the other two.
My oh my why aren´t we thick Blood so pure and mind so sick I warned you, I did, so do not hate Your girlfriend´s death was just a bait
We need it´s powers and greatest force To help out purpose and please his needs But only a true heir knows the source And you´re the last one of the pureblooded, sophisticated mindless fools who lived out their lives only to serve another human being! Now, isn´t that sad!?
COME NOW! You are the one we want! Come see us now and no others will die! We won´t warn you again!
The last part of them poem was written like in haste and anger. Still with smooth, perfect letters, but it had this recklessness about it also that told you the writer had not been in a perfect mood.
The fact that it ended in chaos supported that theory.
Blank looked at it in disbelief. They were still going on about that? Now!?
But another thing troubled him as well. Was that letter for him? It certainly was not for Zidane. It was common knowledge that he was married to the Queen and so Ruby could not have been mistaken for his girlfriend. Could it really be for him?
He could not think.
Curse them! Who could be so utterly stuped to kill people just to get to another one and telling that person to come to them, without telling him where they were! Some are just TOO stupid, was the only thing Blank could think. Stupid stupid stupid stupid.
'Well?'
Blank stopped thinking. He had totally forgotten about Beatrix standing beside him looking at him like he was a lunatic! He had been making grim faces while he thinking and, well, was quite embarrassed that someone had seen him. And Beatrix´s staring did not make things easier.
He handed her the letter. She read it fast but carefully, then looked up at him.
'Is it for you?' she asked alarmed.
'I don´t know,' he answered. 'but it´s not for Zidane!'
'It´s not a very good poem,' she said thoughtfully. ' It´s like it was done in a hurry. And now there is some he and a source and a true heir? And what is this it that they need?' Blank just made a stupid face indicating that he did not know.
'We ought to show someone!' Beatrix decided and started down the hall with the letter firmly in her grasp. Blank got steadily on his feet, the headache now gone, and followed her.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 3
// death //
For another week they searched the city, but there was no sign of the woman or her followers, if there were any. Blank was getting really impatient, and the headache was getting ever worse and was closing to be more than he would be able to handle. Now he spent most of his time alone in his room, but Tantalus had not left the city now that the woman had struck again. Blank hated this. He hated the waiting. Now that they could not find them all they could do was to wait for another clue and that meant they had to wait until they struck again.
Ick, Blank thought, lying on his bed. Why couldn´t the wedding just go smoothly and we would have gotten out of here a long time ago. I miss the theatre life! And stealing!! How long has it been since I stole something? God, I have to steal something! Soon! Tonight! FUCK this headache!! I can´t always lay like this whenever I.
But his selfpitying thoughts were suddenly stopped from the sound of the alert horns being blown. Blank raised himself up in the bed and shook his head. This could only mean one thing.
Blank ran to the door and headed, like always, to the main hall. But halfway there he saw people crowded in a circle out in the lobby.
Great, he thought. Always the last one to the sceen...
Blank could see Zidane´s lively tail lying flatly on the floor out of the crowd and hurried towards it. When he got closer he could see Vivi sitting by a wall, crying, and Eiko by his side trying to comfort him, and Garnet stood in Freya´s arms, burrying her face in the ratlike woman´s coat. Amarant and Beatrix stood expressionless in front of the door and Blank could see Steiner behind them talking to a guard. But the sight of his fellow Tantalus members frightened Blank the most. Their faces were disfigured with obvious pain and when Baku spotted Blank he just shook his head in defeat, looked briefly down on the floor and then back at Blank, his eyes filled with doubt. But Blank could not see the floor because of the crowd of guards.
When Blank was only about six feet away from Zidane, Zidane suddenly looked up and stared straight in Blank´s face. Then without saying a word he stood up and walked slowly to Blank, who had stopped dead in his tracks. He had cought a glimpse at the victim and had frozen in his steps.
No, he thought.
Zidane placed his right hand on Blank´s left shoulder and bowed his head.
'I´m sorry, man.' he whispered, his voice sounding strangely far away to Blank.
Is it.?
'Vivi and Eiko were here when. it happened. but they´re too upset to tell us anything.' Blank thought he could hear Zidane say, but was not really sure. His hearing was not working properly.
Was it.?
'She´s gone, you know!' Zidane´s voice kept on.
Did I see.?
'The murderer I mean!' But Blank could not hear. His mind had figured it out, finally.
Ruby!
Her hair was lying on the floor, glittering as starlight. He had seen her gloved hand lying lifeless on the floor, her eyes closed and her throat wide open. Blood all over her dress and face, and all around her on the floor was an ocean of that red, thick liquid that seemed to burn Blank´s heart.
He pushed Zidane aside and half-ran to her. She was completely lifeless, or her body that is. First he looked at her startled, not believing what he saw, but slowly the horrible reality found it´s way inside his mind, forcing him to see the truth layed out before him. His eyes filled up with tears and he felt his body getting numb.
No! It´s just a horrible dream. My eyes are playing tricks on me!! It´s the belt! I´m seeing things! I´ve lost my mind! The headache! It´s GOT to be the headache!! Please, anything but this!
But there was no denying it. Ruby was lying on the floor, lifeless as an empty shell. As Blank knelt beside her he could hear Vivi´s cries. 'I just froze! I couldn´t move with fear! And then she cut her throat. and. we just went out for a cup of root-beer! I´m sorry!!'
Blank lifted up Ruby´s head, gently. He placed it in his lap and stroked her hair carefully with his left hand as if it was of pure gold. He stroked her hair again and again, not ever wanting to stop, not ever wanting to let her go. Only now he realized how much he loved her, but now it was too late! Blank cursed himself silently as he thought about the fact that he had not ever showed it to Ruby. Blank you STUPID COWARD!
'Come on.' Blank heard Marcus say. 'We´ve got to inspect her.'
But no! I don´t wanna let go!
Marcus pulled Ruby out of Blank´s hands and raised him to his feet. 'There may be more clues.' he said while walking Blank to the wall where Vivi sat, crying his eyes out. 'Just sit here,' Marcus said, but Blank did not seem to hear him. 'We´ll take care of the rest. You OK by yourself?'. When Blank did not show any signs of hearing Marcus asked one of Garnet´s maids to come sit next to him. The maid was dressed in a blue dress, with a white apron tightly bound around her waist and a white shirt. Very stylish actually, like Garnet wanted them, but Blank was in no mood to notice that.
It can´t be, it can´t be it can´t be it can´t be!
'Hiya, hon!' the maid said to him carefully while sitting down beside him, leaning against the wall. 'Do you really want to stay here?' she asked him carefully when he did not respond to her.
Blank, who had not even looked in the girl´s face, was staring on the floor, looking like he did not even see it. He did not move and his face was expressionless, like always. The girl looked at him, hesitating, not knowing what to do. She could not see his eyes so she was not sure if he was crying.
He wasn´t.
'Oh, sorry,' she blabbed then all of a sudden. 'Forgot to introduse myself! My name´s Veranda!' she said smiling at him.
That sentence seemed to have gotten through to Blank, because he looked up at the girl now. And stared.
'And your´s Blank, right?' she said, a little too cheerily maybe, she thought, but it was best not to act like in a burial. That would only make matters worse.
When Blank looked at her he realized that he had seen her before. She was the maid he had stopped for and told to evacuate the palace the night of the first murder. The same dark hair, short but mature, kind of pointy ears and blue eyes. She was not tall, but she was not short either. About the same height as he, to be precise. But Blank´s mind was not capable of coping with the fact that she was pretty. Not now...
'Come on, hon,' she said to him, pulling his arm, making him stand up. 'Let´s get out of here,' and she gently dragged him away from the hysteric crowd that was inspecting Ruby´s dead body.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Blank sat on the bed looking at the wall in front of him. Veranda was folding his trousers (A/N: Yes, he has trousers!!!) and putting them in his drawer, then dusting his nightstand and lamp. Then she looked at him. He had been sitting there ever since she brought him up, not speaking, not eating, not moving for the past 2 hours.
My god, isn´t he ever going to do anything? she asked herself, but she couldn´t find the answer, of course. After all, it was obvious that he was in quite a shock, much more than most of his companions, actually. It was the last thing she had expected of him. She had often seen him striding around the hallways of the palace, not looking at anyone, but himself looking very strange and, in some bizarre way, extremely important. She had bet he did not think so himself, but he was quite handsome, even though he looked like he had been sown together by god´s handicapped child from bits and bits of it´s own torn dolls. He had this glow about him that said he was something big. Even bigger than she herself could begin to imagine.
But she was not thinking about that, of course. Or that was what she told herself.
'Veranda?'
His voice startled her. She spun around to face him and saw him looking at her.
'Yes?' she answered.
'Why are you still here?'
The question surprised her.
'I´m here in case you´ll need any kind of help!' She chose the words carefully.
'I don´t need any help!' he said at her, maybe a little bit to harsh.
'Then that´s all right, hon!' she said, a little surprised. But then again, he was in a shock so she had to be extra considerate. 'I´ll be in the kitchen if you´ll need me later on!'
'I won´t!' he said, looking back at the wall.
Veranda opened her mouth to say something nice, but did not think of anything so she shut it again. Maybe it was better not to say anything. She left his room silently, leaving him still sitting on the bed, and walked to the kitchen.
She could not help but feeling a little hurt, after the way he had talked to her. She had always thought he looked like a nice guy. Maybe she had been wrong. His words had stung her deeply. How foolish, she thought to herself, to let a guy like this get under your skin! It´s not like I know the man!
In the kitchen the chef was preparing dinner.
'Lend me a hand, will ya?' he asked Veranda, pointing at the potatoes that were piled up on a table to her left. 'We need them ready, fried and hot, in about 15 minutes. Most of the girls are still in shock after that Ruby girl´s death, but you´re all right, ain´t ya?'
'Hm-mh!' she answered and started washing the potatoes, with her mind on other things.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dead.
Now that sounded a little strange.
He tried it again.
Dead.
. . still not fitting. .!
It had been her hand, her hair, her blood on the floor, but Blank still couldn´t cope with the idea.
No, he couldn´t think about it now.
He had sent, what was her name, Verdana, out. He had wanted to be alone, and he didn not really know her. She seemed friendly enough, but not now. This was not the time to make new friends. When the old ones get killed you don´t just replace them with the next friendly person.
Killed! He shuddered with the thought.
She had helped him alot though. If he had been alone there was no telling what he might have done! To himself or anyone else for that matter.
The numbness was deserting him now, and the reality begun to edge it´s way into his mind, playing tricks on him, making him feel. vulnerable and very foolish.
He had just cracked when he saw her. In front of everyone! He did not even stay there to investigate, or even went out to try to find the fucking bitch. That blonde, greenclad bitch who had killed Ruby. He had just froze, like Vivi. But Vivi was still a child, so no one expected more of him. But Blank was a grown man!
Ugh, he felt like a fool.
He thought if he would ever get to see her again. Ruby that was. Even dead she was still as beautiful as ever. Her skin had always been pale so the change was not much. But her eyes, god he missed those eyes, were now forever closed.
I´m getting too sentimental. That´s not like me at all! he thought, making an evil face and letting himself fall backwards on the bed. He had been sitting so still ever since he and Veranda had come up to his room. How long had it been? 15 minutes? 30? 8 hours? A week!? He did not really know, and did not really care.
Dead.
Now that word was sinking in.
Dead.
*~*~*~*~*~*
'Anything?' Beatrix asked Steiner after he had saluted her. He merely shook his head.
'The third time in a row that we haven´t been able to find her, my liege!' he answered grimly. 'We´ve found almost every wanted person in the kingdom searching for her, but never did we come across a place where.' he hesitated. '.they could be hiding!'
Beatrix nodded and walked away, Steiner saluting behind her. She went straight to see the King and Queen. It was strange to be now serving a royal pair, a King, not just a Queen. Zidane came across to her as a very special boy, or a man, and she did not fully trust him yet.
What was she thinking? It was not in her duty to question her superiors. She shook her head, halting. Don´t think about it, girl, she thought before she entered the royal chamber.
The door was open so she tapped lightly on it, to announce her presence. Garnet was standing near one window, looking out over the kingdom, and Zidane was standing behind her, holding her waist with one hand and petting her hair with the other. My, my, Beatrix thought. Aren´t we in love?
'Yes, Beatrix?' Garnet said when she noticed Beatrix standing at the door. She saluted and then made her statement. Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Ekkert. Ingen ting. Garnet´s eyes went sad, even sadder than they had been.
'But we´re still trying, and will continue to do so, unless you decide otherwise!' Beatrix exclaimed.
'I feel just awful,' Garnet said, her voice barely audible. 'Ruby´s gone, and we can´t even find her murderer!' She looked at Zidane hopelessly for some comfort, but he looked even more lost than she did. Then he just put both his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. She laid her hands on his and bent her head to face the floor. Beatrix slowly made her way to the door.
Stomping down the hallway she could hear guards shouting but that was not uncomon and it did not interest her at all. She was lost in thoughts.
Why didn´t. they leave any clues? she asked herself. There was no letter! We searched the entire body of the girl! And why did she, the murderer, decide to attack inside the palace, in broad daylight in front of witnesses? And how did she get inside? Beatrix´s head was bursting with thought.
And the terrible fact that the victim had been a friend of the royal pair. And what a nice girl! Beatrix had talked to Ruby sometimes and found her quite adorable and deffinetly a honest person. It was bad to see her dead.
Horrible, just horrible, was the last thing she thought to herself before slamming into a dark cloaked figure.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Dinner was served and the royal couple and all their friends attended. All but Vivi and Blank. Veranda was quite disappointed. She had wanted to talk more to Blank, just to see if he was OK, of course. What other reason could there be?
She had not heard from him after she left him alone in his room and was beginning to worry.
Why? She did not know. Compassion? No, she was not the emotional kind of girl. Maybe it was just curiosity. Yes, that was it! Curiosity! God, it was great to have some kind of reason.
Veranda had been put in the chore of filling glasses at the dinner table. It was quite a boring job, because she did not get to sit down once during the whole dinner, and sometimes it could last up to 2 or 3 hours. Now, after only 20 minutes, Veranda´s feet were killing her. Standing still was kind of hard when all you feet wanted to do was to run out of the dininghall and to Blank´s room.
Because that was what Veranda really desired to do.
But of course she did not admit it to herself.
Suddenly she saw Marcus hold up his glass, indicating that she was to fill it with wine. Veranda slowly walked to Marcus and started pouring the thin liquid into his glass. To her surprise Marcus spoke to her.
'Yo, where did you take him?' he asked without looking at her.
'Up to his room, my sir.' she answered lika a well trained maid.
'Don´t 'sir' or 'thou' me, please!' he said with a hint of disgust in his voice. 'Did he say anything?' he added.
'No, nothing, Marcus.'
He looked at her. 'You know my name?'
She blushed. 'Of course! You´re one of the Tantalus members, no?'
He nodded.
'I´ve been cleaning your rooms and once I brought you dinner to your room. I can´t help learning your names, si.' and she stopped, and blushed even more. 'It wasn´t supposed to sound sarcastic or anything.' she started but he cut her off, laughing.
'It´s OK, girl!' and he gulped down some wine. 'Jus' asking, that´s all! No big a deal!'
But his eyes spoke a different way.
Another glass was raised at the other end of the table, by Amarant, so Veranda excused herself and walked to the other end.
Amarant. He had always scared her, in a good sort of way, if there was one. He acted like a bad, tough, big guy, but she really thought he was different. No sissy, of course, but still not a bad guy.
But he still scared her.
Her feet continued to torment her as she poured Amarant some wine. The rest of the dinner was not any better.
*~*~*~*~*~*
'Halt!' Beatrix shouted at the dark figure, running down the hallway. She had not seen it before slamming into it, but now when she saw the guards racing after the figure she ran after it as hard as she could. There was of course no doubt in her mind that it was the killer. Who other would be hiding in the palace like that? What was she still doing there, anyways?
'Halt!!' Beatrix shouted again, but the dark figure did not seem to hear her and did not turn around. Not that Beatrix had expected that, really. But judging by the figures movements it was most deffinetely a woman, clad in green, just as Blank had described.
Blast it! Beatrix thought. She´s headed for the royal chambers!
If she would do something to the Queen Beatrix herself would do something VERY unpleasant to her!! But of course, she would not let anything happen to the Queen in the first place.
'Sound the alert horns!!' she ordered a guard that she ran past, and he ran up to the upper balconies.
Blast it, run FASTER! Beatrix demanded of herself. FASTER!
But all though she ran as fast as she could she could not keep up with the woman. The guards had given up a long time ago so now there were just the two of them.
Darn it, she turned to the right. But that isn´t the way to the Queen´s chamber.?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Blank, who had fallen asleep from his thoughts, woke up by the unpleasant sound of the alert horns.
Again?, he thought. Twice in one day? Very impressive!
He shook his head, that was not a proper thought.
Blank jumped out of bed and ran to the door. The headache was back and he could not quite see clearly.
He slammed up the door and stepped out in the hallway. Then suddenly he was ran into by a womanly figure, clad in a dark cloak. The figure halted for a moment, then reached out it´s hand and gripped at Blank´s right one, then continued down the hallway. Blank had not been able to see the woman´s face clearly, because of the headache. But he was able to hear Beatrix´s shouts.
'Stop that woman! Blank do something!!' he heard her scream, but was in no shape to grab the meaning of the words and put it in connection with what had just happened. He clutched his fist closed and rested himself against the wall besides the door. The cloakclad woman was out of sight and Beatrix came up to him, gasping for air, looking at him angrily, trying to find the words to fit.
'Why. didn´t. you. stop. her!?' she said while inhailing large amounts of air.
'Who?' Blank said in stupidity, holding his head.
'Who!?' Beatrix was shocked and raged. 'The darn woman who just killed your girlfriend this morning!!! Don´t you remember?' she shouted at him in disbelief.
'She wasn´t my girlfriend.' Blank explained carefully.
'Does that really matter now?' Beatrix asked with a hint of despair in her voice, laying one hand over her one revieled eye and shaking her head.
Blank looked at her with a hurt face, reached out his hand to grab Beatrix´s shoulder and was about to say something, when he saw a folded letter fall out of his palm. The woman had given it to him in that handshake. He looked at it in amazement for a while, until Beatrix, realizing he was not going to pick it up, bent down and recovered it from the floor. She turned it around in her hands, looking at it from all angles, and after making sure it was just an ordinary letter she handed it to Blank, who looked at her surprised.
'She handed it to you,' she said. 'Come now, open it!' She twitched her head backwards.
Blank silently took the letter out of Beatrix´s hand and unfolded it. It was written in those perfect letters, like the other two.
My oh my why aren´t we thick Blood so pure and mind so sick I warned you, I did, so do not hate Your girlfriend´s death was just a bait
We need it´s powers and greatest force To help out purpose and please his needs But only a true heir knows the source And you´re the last one of the pureblooded, sophisticated mindless fools who lived out their lives only to serve another human being! Now, isn´t that sad!?
COME NOW! You are the one we want! Come see us now and no others will die! We won´t warn you again!
The last part of them poem was written like in haste and anger. Still with smooth, perfect letters, but it had this recklessness about it also that told you the writer had not been in a perfect mood.
The fact that it ended in chaos supported that theory.
Blank looked at it in disbelief. They were still going on about that? Now!?
But another thing troubled him as well. Was that letter for him? It certainly was not for Zidane. It was common knowledge that he was married to the Queen and so Ruby could not have been mistaken for his girlfriend. Could it really be for him?
He could not think.
Curse them! Who could be so utterly stuped to kill people just to get to another one and telling that person to come to them, without telling him where they were! Some are just TOO stupid, was the only thing Blank could think. Stupid stupid stupid stupid.
'Well?'
Blank stopped thinking. He had totally forgotten about Beatrix standing beside him looking at him like he was a lunatic! He had been making grim faces while he thinking and, well, was quite embarrassed that someone had seen him. And Beatrix´s staring did not make things easier.
He handed her the letter. She read it fast but carefully, then looked up at him.
'Is it for you?' she asked alarmed.
'I don´t know,' he answered. 'but it´s not for Zidane!'
'It´s not a very good poem,' she said thoughtfully. ' It´s like it was done in a hurry. And now there is some he and a source and a true heir? And what is this it that they need?' Blank just made a stupid face indicating that he did not know.
'We ought to show someone!' Beatrix decided and started down the hall with the letter firmly in her grasp. Blank got steadily on his feet, the headache now gone, and followed her.
*~*~*~*~*~*
