Chapter Nine
"Your Majesty, the scouts are back."
Garnet found herself back on the that tower. The tower that had been so familiar for so long. The last rays of light from the setting sun brushed over her face, reflecting off the tears in her eyes that she refuse to let fall. She lowered her head and sighed, regaining her composure. She turned from the sun, a shadow falling over her face once more, and followed Beatrix into the castle. She walked through the halls next to the general, her pace urgent. They entered the briefing room where her scouts and Steiner were waiting.
"What did you see?" she asked before anyone had realized she had entered the room. The scouts snapped to attention and she quickly waved her hand, dismissing it.
"There's a sharp increase in military presence throughout the city. All of the citizens also seem...intimidated. They're all running scared of the slightest thing. Even our regular informants won't talk." Garnet stood, her hands on her hips, looking at the ground.
"You are dismissed," she said, closing her eyes. The scouts saluted Beatrix and exited the room. There was a silence before Garnet spoke.
"That was not what I wanted to hear."
"Something's brewing," Steiner stated. Garnet nodded.
"What do you suggest?" Garnet asked, turning to Beatrix.
"Put some spies in place...keep watch of them. We need to get someone on the inside though, a mole. Someone damn close to that advisor..." Beatrix replied.
"That's it?! Just sit back while they prepare for war?! We can't just sit here and not do anything!!" Steiner exploded.
"And we can't just start storming around picking fights that could be prevented!" Beatrix yelled back at him.
"And when they attack, what do you think is going to happen? We sure as hell aren't going to be able to defend ourselves if we rely on spies when messages take at least half a day to travel!!"
"And what are you suggesting? We just get up and fight when we don't even know what they're doing! Don't be stupid Steiner! Alexandria is not ready for a war with Treno!
"My troops could be ready in days! And we would be able to..."
"Your troops?!?! Alexander help us if YOUR troops were left to defend us!"
Garnet turned away from the fight, and gazed out the window. She blocked out the voices, and listened closely to the sounds of night activities from the city below. The sun had fully gone behind the hill and now the moon began to rise. Tears came to her eyes again as she wondered if Zidane was okay. She slowly wondered over to the window, her heart aching, wishing that he was there. Zidane...I need you now. Please be safe. She thought, staring out into the dark. She took a deep breath, smelling the countryside instead of the stale air of the castle. She wanted to be free again, although she knew that was not possible. Finally, she turned on the feuding knights.
"I will not be the one that strikes first. I will not bring Alexandria into a war if it can be avoided, regardless of the cost. Beatrix, put your spies in place. Steiner, prepare your troops for defense of Alexandria. I am not brushing the threat aside, but neither of you will utter a word of this to anyone. The last thing I want is a panic. And Treno must not know."
"Yes, you majesty." Steiner said, turning to leave the room. "Hold on a minute Steiner," Garnet said, holding up a hand to stop him as she approached Beatrix. "And the spies following Zidane?" she asked the general quietly.
"They're scheduled to report later tonight." Beatrix replied. Garnet nodded.
Beatrix nodded and saluted, and turned to leave as well. But Garnet caught them both before they were at the door.
"And I don't know what the hell is going on between you two, but keep it out of my office." Garnet fumed at them. "I'll be in my room. Wake me when the reports come in." She added, turning away from the knights and back to the window. She waited until she heard the door close behind them to let out a sob. She then turned and left the room and walked down the hall to her bedroom.
She opened the door and quickly slipped through, closing it behind her and locking it. She turned around and let her eyes travel over the room. Over the past four years, she had dreamed of how this room would be different if Zidane had been here to share it with her. A stray shirt laid over a chair back, the sheets ruffled on both sides of the enormous bed, his shoes next to hers on the floor. But she was met only with disappointment. Everything was exactly the same as always.
She moved to her armoire, shedding her dress and putting on a more comfortable one. She had purchased it from a seamstress in the city, with no modifications that would make it different from what a normal woman in town would wear. The fabric was thin but soft, broken down from being worn so often.
Then she moved toward Zidane's room. She opened the door slowly, hoping that maybe he would be there. An expectedly empty bed greeted her. She closed the door behind her and moved toward the bed. She lifted the ruffled blankets and slipped into the sheets, then pulled his pillow to her chest and held it against her, breathing in his smell. She lay there quietly, staring at nothing, waiting for news of her love.
"Your Majesty, the scouts are back."
Garnet found herself back on the that tower. The tower that had been so familiar for so long. The last rays of light from the setting sun brushed over her face, reflecting off the tears in her eyes that she refuse to let fall. She lowered her head and sighed, regaining her composure. She turned from the sun, a shadow falling over her face once more, and followed Beatrix into the castle. She walked through the halls next to the general, her pace urgent. They entered the briefing room where her scouts and Steiner were waiting.
"What did you see?" she asked before anyone had realized she had entered the room. The scouts snapped to attention and she quickly waved her hand, dismissing it.
"There's a sharp increase in military presence throughout the city. All of the citizens also seem...intimidated. They're all running scared of the slightest thing. Even our regular informants won't talk." Garnet stood, her hands on her hips, looking at the ground.
"You are dismissed," she said, closing her eyes. The scouts saluted Beatrix and exited the room. There was a silence before Garnet spoke.
"That was not what I wanted to hear."
"Something's brewing," Steiner stated. Garnet nodded.
"What do you suggest?" Garnet asked, turning to Beatrix.
"Put some spies in place...keep watch of them. We need to get someone on the inside though, a mole. Someone damn close to that advisor..." Beatrix replied.
"That's it?! Just sit back while they prepare for war?! We can't just sit here and not do anything!!" Steiner exploded.
"And we can't just start storming around picking fights that could be prevented!" Beatrix yelled back at him.
"And when they attack, what do you think is going to happen? We sure as hell aren't going to be able to defend ourselves if we rely on spies when messages take at least half a day to travel!!"
"And what are you suggesting? We just get up and fight when we don't even know what they're doing! Don't be stupid Steiner! Alexandria is not ready for a war with Treno!
"My troops could be ready in days! And we would be able to..."
"Your troops?!?! Alexander help us if YOUR troops were left to defend us!"
Garnet turned away from the fight, and gazed out the window. She blocked out the voices, and listened closely to the sounds of night activities from the city below. The sun had fully gone behind the hill and now the moon began to rise. Tears came to her eyes again as she wondered if Zidane was okay. She slowly wondered over to the window, her heart aching, wishing that he was there. Zidane...I need you now. Please be safe. She thought, staring out into the dark. She took a deep breath, smelling the countryside instead of the stale air of the castle. She wanted to be free again, although she knew that was not possible. Finally, she turned on the feuding knights.
"I will not be the one that strikes first. I will not bring Alexandria into a war if it can be avoided, regardless of the cost. Beatrix, put your spies in place. Steiner, prepare your troops for defense of Alexandria. I am not brushing the threat aside, but neither of you will utter a word of this to anyone. The last thing I want is a panic. And Treno must not know."
"Yes, you majesty." Steiner said, turning to leave the room. "Hold on a minute Steiner," Garnet said, holding up a hand to stop him as she approached Beatrix. "And the spies following Zidane?" she asked the general quietly.
"They're scheduled to report later tonight." Beatrix replied. Garnet nodded.
Beatrix nodded and saluted, and turned to leave as well. But Garnet caught them both before they were at the door.
"And I don't know what the hell is going on between you two, but keep it out of my office." Garnet fumed at them. "I'll be in my room. Wake me when the reports come in." She added, turning away from the knights and back to the window. She waited until she heard the door close behind them to let out a sob. She then turned and left the room and walked down the hall to her bedroom.
She opened the door and quickly slipped through, closing it behind her and locking it. She turned around and let her eyes travel over the room. Over the past four years, she had dreamed of how this room would be different if Zidane had been here to share it with her. A stray shirt laid over a chair back, the sheets ruffled on both sides of the enormous bed, his shoes next to hers on the floor. But she was met only with disappointment. Everything was exactly the same as always.
She moved to her armoire, shedding her dress and putting on a more comfortable one. She had purchased it from a seamstress in the city, with no modifications that would make it different from what a normal woman in town would wear. The fabric was thin but soft, broken down from being worn so often.
Then she moved toward Zidane's room. She opened the door slowly, hoping that maybe he would be there. An expectedly empty bed greeted her. She closed the door behind her and moved toward the bed. She lifted the ruffled blankets and slipped into the sheets, then pulled his pillow to her chest and held it against her, breathing in his smell. She lay there quietly, staring at nothing, waiting for news of her love.