Chapter 6 Meeting the Messenger
"I'm not a thief and I have a name!" She growled. "Let me go!'
"You're not from here," Quistis finally said. The girl stopped struggling. "Well yeah. I'm from Trabia. How'd you know?"
"Your clothes are from a Snow Lion," Quistis gave Irvine his hat. "And you do know you smell of long travel." She wrinkled her nose while the girl looked on in stupefaction. Irvine chuckled. "She's got a nose there."
"Well, I'm a Trabian, so you can' charge me!" She said defiantly. "Besides, I'm a messenger! I have to see the King!"
"Then why did you steal my hat?" Irvine demanded. The girl blushed and Quistis heard the growl of an underfed stomach. "I see..." She mused. "I think, Sir Kinneas, it's better if we return to the Prince and Princess."
"Oh yeah..." Irvine started to say but the girl was bouncing up and down, obviously excited. "You're Sir Kinneas? The Irvine Kinneas? Then you can take me to the King! Right?"
"Hold it," Quistis said sternly. "Who are you?"
The girl pulled herself to her full height. "I'm Selphie Tilmitt, member of the Royal Trabian Castle!"
"And what does that make you?" Irvine probed. Selphie glared at him. "I'm Princess Ellone's personal guard," She said haughtily. "So please, unhand me sir."
"Some guard you are," Irvine chuckled and let her go. She dusted her clothes angrily. "I just arrived here, okay? And nobody could tell me how to get into the Palace! I was thrown out by your high-mighty-guards when I tried to enter!"
"When you smell of Snow Lion it's hard not to," Irvine pointed out. He shook his head and adjusted his hat. "Let's go,"
They walked quietly back to the square (Selphie tried to keep as much as possible distance between her and Quistis) and heard the crowd roaring louder than ever. They pushed their way to the front in time to see Squall delivering a finishing punch to the 'Invincible' Dincht's jaw. Irvine's jaw dropped open. His prince was bruised, yes, but he looked smug about it. The crowd went absolutely wild. "Leonhart! Leonhart! Leonhart!"
Squall staggered back down and was instantly smothered by Rinoa, who hugged him and squealed with the rest of the crowd. To Quistis it was complete pandemonium - people shouting so loud it seems like one entity yelling. Squall was more confused than her. In the blink of an eye he was hoisted onto the peoples' heads and before he knew it he was riding on a wave to the Palace.
King Loire frowned as he heard a steadily growing roar coming to the Palace. He strode out the balcony and nearly laughed out loud as he beheld his son being carried by the people. Which was; Irvine pointed out later; a first.
"This is a surprise," King Loire said with amusement as Squall was let down and he walked into the Throne Room, scowling and sporting a swollen eye. The four followed him inside - four?! King Loire frowned as he noticed a new addition to the party. A green eyed, flipped-up haired girl walked jauntily beside Irvine, oblivious to the fact she was in the presence of the King of Esthar.
"Is this one of the ladies you picked up?" He questioned delicately, but obviously not delicate enough. The girl puffed up in annoyance. "Excuse me?! Ladies - "
"King Loire." Quistis swiftly bowed to hint at Selphie. She got the drift. "Yeah, that's me, I guess," She hastily said and bowed. "I'm Selphie Tilmitt, guard to Princess Ellone of Trabia, here with a message from Queen Edea."
"Edea?" King Loire frowned and took the letter. He read it carefully and whistled un-kingly. "I feared as much. Irvine!"
The Knight tipped his hat in answer. King Loire looked at him sternly. "Pick three men to go with you. You will head to Trabia Castle at first light."
"What better than the one next to me?" Irvine grinned at Squall. The latter simply scowled. It was hard to tell whether he was annoyed at being treated like a hero or simply because the bruise hurt.
"Um... can I go as well?" Rinoa asked suddenly, looking shy. "You see, Edea's... sort of like, um - "
"Yes," King Loire twinkled. "She's your aunt, I'm aware of that. Very well, you may follow Squall and Irvine."
"Wait here," Selphie suddenly interjected, obviously not trained in palace etiquette. "Can I go with them? I mean... it's kindda dangerous to go back on my own... and I am a girl," She emphasized the last word and eyed Irvine haughtily. The man simply shrugged and grinned. King Loire rolled his eyes. "Why don't I make this simple? All of you, will depart tomorrow at dawn. Easy enough, I suppose?"
"Perfectly," Quistis agreed with a nod. Irvine laughed and thumped her on the back. "With her around, why would I worry?"
Maybe he said things too soon.
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"I'm not a thief and I have a name!" She growled. "Let me go!'
"You're not from here," Quistis finally said. The girl stopped struggling. "Well yeah. I'm from Trabia. How'd you know?"
"Your clothes are from a Snow Lion," Quistis gave Irvine his hat. "And you do know you smell of long travel." She wrinkled her nose while the girl looked on in stupefaction. Irvine chuckled. "She's got a nose there."
"Well, I'm a Trabian, so you can' charge me!" She said defiantly. "Besides, I'm a messenger! I have to see the King!"
"Then why did you steal my hat?" Irvine demanded. The girl blushed and Quistis heard the growl of an underfed stomach. "I see..." She mused. "I think, Sir Kinneas, it's better if we return to the Prince and Princess."
"Oh yeah..." Irvine started to say but the girl was bouncing up and down, obviously excited. "You're Sir Kinneas? The Irvine Kinneas? Then you can take me to the King! Right?"
"Hold it," Quistis said sternly. "Who are you?"
The girl pulled herself to her full height. "I'm Selphie Tilmitt, member of the Royal Trabian Castle!"
"And what does that make you?" Irvine probed. Selphie glared at him. "I'm Princess Ellone's personal guard," She said haughtily. "So please, unhand me sir."
"Some guard you are," Irvine chuckled and let her go. She dusted her clothes angrily. "I just arrived here, okay? And nobody could tell me how to get into the Palace! I was thrown out by your high-mighty-guards when I tried to enter!"
"When you smell of Snow Lion it's hard not to," Irvine pointed out. He shook his head and adjusted his hat. "Let's go,"
They walked quietly back to the square (Selphie tried to keep as much as possible distance between her and Quistis) and heard the crowd roaring louder than ever. They pushed their way to the front in time to see Squall delivering a finishing punch to the 'Invincible' Dincht's jaw. Irvine's jaw dropped open. His prince was bruised, yes, but he looked smug about it. The crowd went absolutely wild. "Leonhart! Leonhart! Leonhart!"
Squall staggered back down and was instantly smothered by Rinoa, who hugged him and squealed with the rest of the crowd. To Quistis it was complete pandemonium - people shouting so loud it seems like one entity yelling. Squall was more confused than her. In the blink of an eye he was hoisted onto the peoples' heads and before he knew it he was riding on a wave to the Palace.
King Loire frowned as he heard a steadily growing roar coming to the Palace. He strode out the balcony and nearly laughed out loud as he beheld his son being carried by the people. Which was; Irvine pointed out later; a first.
"This is a surprise," King Loire said with amusement as Squall was let down and he walked into the Throne Room, scowling and sporting a swollen eye. The four followed him inside - four?! King Loire frowned as he noticed a new addition to the party. A green eyed, flipped-up haired girl walked jauntily beside Irvine, oblivious to the fact she was in the presence of the King of Esthar.
"Is this one of the ladies you picked up?" He questioned delicately, but obviously not delicate enough. The girl puffed up in annoyance. "Excuse me?! Ladies - "
"King Loire." Quistis swiftly bowed to hint at Selphie. She got the drift. "Yeah, that's me, I guess," She hastily said and bowed. "I'm Selphie Tilmitt, guard to Princess Ellone of Trabia, here with a message from Queen Edea."
"Edea?" King Loire frowned and took the letter. He read it carefully and whistled un-kingly. "I feared as much. Irvine!"
The Knight tipped his hat in answer. King Loire looked at him sternly. "Pick three men to go with you. You will head to Trabia Castle at first light."
"What better than the one next to me?" Irvine grinned at Squall. The latter simply scowled. It was hard to tell whether he was annoyed at being treated like a hero or simply because the bruise hurt.
"Um... can I go as well?" Rinoa asked suddenly, looking shy. "You see, Edea's... sort of like, um - "
"Yes," King Loire twinkled. "She's your aunt, I'm aware of that. Very well, you may follow Squall and Irvine."
"Wait here," Selphie suddenly interjected, obviously not trained in palace etiquette. "Can I go with them? I mean... it's kindda dangerous to go back on my own... and I am a girl," She emphasized the last word and eyed Irvine haughtily. The man simply shrugged and grinned. King Loire rolled his eyes. "Why don't I make this simple? All of you, will depart tomorrow at dawn. Easy enough, I suppose?"
"Perfectly," Quistis agreed with a nod. Irvine laughed and thumped her on the back. "With her around, why would I worry?"
Maybe he said things too soon.
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