~Chapter Six~
Zidane walked through the town towards the castle, his conversation with Blank turning itself over and over in his mind. But one question was still always on his mind. Does she love me? It never seemed like it. She was just as happy as everyone else to see me today. And last night, it was just her job, because I was her guest. The bedroom thing? Who the hell knows. God why is this so complicated.
Zidane reached the boat to the castle when he finally remembered his promise. Oh no, I said I'd be there. He thought. He signed heavily, shaking his head. He looked to the sun and it seemed to be rising faster that it should have been. He felt like he was racing it.
When the boat reached the shore, he walked off the boat, trying to rush but still unable to run. Steiner was at the door of the castle.
"Hello, Zidane," he said.
"Hello Steiner," Zidane said, moving past him, then pausing.
"Is she awake?"
"Not the last time I checked. Why?" Steiner replied.
"Nevermind."
Zidane climbed the stairs to his room. Now he realized how tired he was, and couldn't believe he didn't sleep after yesterday. He went to the conjoined door and peeked inside. He could see in the sunlight the small bump in the blankets where she laid, and her hair billowing over the pillows. I wish I was there, he thought. If I only knew what she wants.
"Zidane." he suddenly heard her mumble from across the room.
"Yes?" he said, opening the door a little further.
"Zidane, where are you?" she said again, louder.
"I'm here," he said, and crossed the room to her bedside. She was so beautiful, his breath escaped him.
"Please come back," she moaned, painfully. Her eyes were still closed but her face was troubled, a far away dream gripping her.
"Its okay, I'm right here," he said, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand. It was cold and he held it between both of his to try to warm it. "I'm here," he told her.
She let out a deep sigh and her face softened. "Please don't leave."
"I'm not," he said, reaching out with one hand to stroke her hair. She sighed again, the dream slipping away and leaving her in a peaceful sleep. He sat and watched her for a long time. Here, asleep like this, he could see her as just Garnet, not as a Queen. She was so beautiful, so caring, so perfect, she was everything he could want. His thoughts were interrupted by her voice.
"Good morning," he said smiling. She blinked for a moment and then turned to him.
"Where did you go?" she asked. His smile faded. He had hoped that she wouldn't have noticed.
"I went out to see the city. The reconstruction looks great. You can't tell that anything ever happened." She nodded, pushing herself up against the back of her bed.
"You're so beautiful," he said, surprising her as well as himself. She smiled, and held out her arms. He went to her, sighing at how wonderful her arms felt around him. She kissed his forehead and he pulled her closer.
"Garnet, I have to tell you something," he said, feeling her pull away from him.
"Yes?" she said.
He brought his hands up, gently holding her face while he looked into her eyes.
"I wanted you to know that I didn't go back for Kuja to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. You mean the world to me, and as much as I didn't want to put us through 4 years of hell, I had to. I hope you understand that."
She looked up at him, her brown eyes peering so deeply into his that it made his breath lock in his throat. "I know, Zidane," she said. "You're the most important thing in my life. I never believed you were dead while you were gone. I never gave up on you. I would have waited forever for you to come back."
A smile crossed his face as she reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Her fingers paused at the scar, and his smile lowered. He reached up and took her hand in his.
"There's something else you need to know," he told her. "I have to go," he said. Her eyes began searching his frantically. "I wasn't imprisoned by a tribe in the North.well, I was, but not for all those years." he started. She was listening intently, and the lack of anger on her face gave him the courage to continue.
"The tribe only kept me there for a few weeks, and they didn't hurt me at all. Then I did go and stay at Conde Petit, but only for a little while." his voice began to shake and he stopped, regaining himself.
Garnet pulled him to her. "Who did this to you?"
"I'm so sorry Garnet, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." He pulled back and looked at her. "It was the head advisor to the King of Treno." A look of horror crossed her face.
"Garnet, you need to get ready. They're planning to declare war."
Zidane walked through the town towards the castle, his conversation with Blank turning itself over and over in his mind. But one question was still always on his mind. Does she love me? It never seemed like it. She was just as happy as everyone else to see me today. And last night, it was just her job, because I was her guest. The bedroom thing? Who the hell knows. God why is this so complicated.
Zidane reached the boat to the castle when he finally remembered his promise. Oh no, I said I'd be there. He thought. He signed heavily, shaking his head. He looked to the sun and it seemed to be rising faster that it should have been. He felt like he was racing it.
When the boat reached the shore, he walked off the boat, trying to rush but still unable to run. Steiner was at the door of the castle.
"Hello, Zidane," he said.
"Hello Steiner," Zidane said, moving past him, then pausing.
"Is she awake?"
"Not the last time I checked. Why?" Steiner replied.
"Nevermind."
Zidane climbed the stairs to his room. Now he realized how tired he was, and couldn't believe he didn't sleep after yesterday. He went to the conjoined door and peeked inside. He could see in the sunlight the small bump in the blankets where she laid, and her hair billowing over the pillows. I wish I was there, he thought. If I only knew what she wants.
"Zidane." he suddenly heard her mumble from across the room.
"Yes?" he said, opening the door a little further.
"Zidane, where are you?" she said again, louder.
"I'm here," he said, and crossed the room to her bedside. She was so beautiful, his breath escaped him.
"Please come back," she moaned, painfully. Her eyes were still closed but her face was troubled, a far away dream gripping her.
"Its okay, I'm right here," he said, sitting on the edge of her bed and taking her hand. It was cold and he held it between both of his to try to warm it. "I'm here," he told her.
She let out a deep sigh and her face softened. "Please don't leave."
"I'm not," he said, reaching out with one hand to stroke her hair. She sighed again, the dream slipping away and leaving her in a peaceful sleep. He sat and watched her for a long time. Here, asleep like this, he could see her as just Garnet, not as a Queen. She was so beautiful, so caring, so perfect, she was everything he could want. His thoughts were interrupted by her voice.
"Good morning," he said smiling. She blinked for a moment and then turned to him.
"Where did you go?" she asked. His smile faded. He had hoped that she wouldn't have noticed.
"I went out to see the city. The reconstruction looks great. You can't tell that anything ever happened." She nodded, pushing herself up against the back of her bed.
"You're so beautiful," he said, surprising her as well as himself. She smiled, and held out her arms. He went to her, sighing at how wonderful her arms felt around him. She kissed his forehead and he pulled her closer.
"Garnet, I have to tell you something," he said, feeling her pull away from him.
"Yes?" she said.
He brought his hands up, gently holding her face while he looked into her eyes.
"I wanted you to know that I didn't go back for Kuja to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you. You mean the world to me, and as much as I didn't want to put us through 4 years of hell, I had to. I hope you understand that."
She looked up at him, her brown eyes peering so deeply into his that it made his breath lock in his throat. "I know, Zidane," she said. "You're the most important thing in my life. I never believed you were dead while you were gone. I never gave up on you. I would have waited forever for you to come back."
A smile crossed his face as she reached up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Her fingers paused at the scar, and his smile lowered. He reached up and took her hand in his.
"There's something else you need to know," he told her. "I have to go," he said. Her eyes began searching his frantically. "I wasn't imprisoned by a tribe in the North.well, I was, but not for all those years." he started. She was listening intently, and the lack of anger on her face gave him the courage to continue.
"The tribe only kept me there for a few weeks, and they didn't hurt me at all. Then I did go and stay at Conde Petit, but only for a little while." his voice began to shake and he stopped, regaining himself.
Garnet pulled him to her. "Who did this to you?"
"I'm so sorry Garnet, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." He pulled back and looked at her. "It was the head advisor to the King of Treno." A look of horror crossed her face.
"Garnet, you need to get ready. They're planning to declare war."