~Chapter Four~
Zidane wondered around the balconies of the castle, being welcomed home by every guard he saw. He would thank them and walk on quietly, lost in his thoughts. Something was eating away at him inside, and he knew what it was, but the possibilities terrified him. He rounded a corner, hands behind his back, when a familiar voice greeted him.
"Welcome home, Zidane."
"Hello Beatrix," he replied, not slowing his pace.
"What's troubling you?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head and walking on. Then he stopped a few feet from her, his back to her. He hung his head in defeat. He had to know.
"Beatrix, can I ask you something?" he said, closing his eyes to try to calm himself.
"Of course," she replied. He was silent a moment before asking.
"Has Garnet been with anyone? While I was gone?" He remained with his back to her, as if it would soften the blow if the answer was bad. If anyone would know, Beatrix would. "No, Zidane. She's been alone since the day you left."
Relief ran through every inch of his body. For years his thought had tormented him. That he would come back and there would be a king along side his Garnet.
"Some have tried, though," Beatrix added, and Zidane now turned around.
"What?" he asked. The thought of other men with her was horrifying.
"There have been many here to try to court her after she became Queen. But she refused their offers, one after another without giving it a second thought," Beatrix told him, a soft smile crossing her lips. Zidane came back to where she was standing, his eyes wide. "Tell me more."
"When we returned to Alexandria, she took to her chambers for two days and wouldn't come out. No one tried to force her though, we all knew why. When she came out, she looked as if she hadn't slept at all. She ordered a search party out to the tree and the surrounding area, and told them not to come back for three months or until you were found. After that, we tried to draw her attention back to her duties. Alexandria still needed to be rebuilt. That's what is ironic about being royalty. The power to command a country but not to do what you want," Beatrix paused as Zidane took all this in.
"She watched for you at sunset," Beatrix continued. "Every night for 2 years."
"Why did she stop?"
"Because you had taught her that sometimes you just need to move on. So that's what she tried to do," Beatrix said. "But she never succeeded." Beatrix looked at him.
"She never forgot you, Zidane. There wasn't one day she didn't think about you." Zidane was still for a long time after that. Years of worries had just been washed away.
"Thank you, Beatrix," he said as he started to continue walking.
"You're welcome," she said, saluting and returning back to her post. "If the Queen asks about you, where will you be?" she called after him. "She's not a sound sleeper these days."
"I don't know. But I'll be back," he said, turning and walking into the shadows.
Zidane wondered around the balconies of the castle, being welcomed home by every guard he saw. He would thank them and walk on quietly, lost in his thoughts. Something was eating away at him inside, and he knew what it was, but the possibilities terrified him. He rounded a corner, hands behind his back, when a familiar voice greeted him.
"Welcome home, Zidane."
"Hello Beatrix," he replied, not slowing his pace.
"What's troubling you?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head and walking on. Then he stopped a few feet from her, his back to her. He hung his head in defeat. He had to know.
"Beatrix, can I ask you something?" he said, closing his eyes to try to calm himself.
"Of course," she replied. He was silent a moment before asking.
"Has Garnet been with anyone? While I was gone?" He remained with his back to her, as if it would soften the blow if the answer was bad. If anyone would know, Beatrix would. "No, Zidane. She's been alone since the day you left."
Relief ran through every inch of his body. For years his thought had tormented him. That he would come back and there would be a king along side his Garnet.
"Some have tried, though," Beatrix added, and Zidane now turned around.
"What?" he asked. The thought of other men with her was horrifying.
"There have been many here to try to court her after she became Queen. But she refused their offers, one after another without giving it a second thought," Beatrix told him, a soft smile crossing her lips. Zidane came back to where she was standing, his eyes wide. "Tell me more."
"When we returned to Alexandria, she took to her chambers for two days and wouldn't come out. No one tried to force her though, we all knew why. When she came out, she looked as if she hadn't slept at all. She ordered a search party out to the tree and the surrounding area, and told them not to come back for three months or until you were found. After that, we tried to draw her attention back to her duties. Alexandria still needed to be rebuilt. That's what is ironic about being royalty. The power to command a country but not to do what you want," Beatrix paused as Zidane took all this in.
"She watched for you at sunset," Beatrix continued. "Every night for 2 years."
"Why did she stop?"
"Because you had taught her that sometimes you just need to move on. So that's what she tried to do," Beatrix said. "But she never succeeded." Beatrix looked at him.
"She never forgot you, Zidane. There wasn't one day she didn't think about you." Zidane was still for a long time after that. Years of worries had just been washed away.
"Thank you, Beatrix," he said as he started to continue walking.
"You're welcome," she said, saluting and returning back to her post. "If the Queen asks about you, where will you be?" she called after him. "She's not a sound sleeper these days."
"I don't know. But I'll be back," he said, turning and walking into the shadows.