Author's note: My apologies for the long period with no updates. Graduation
is next month so needless to say life is a little crazy. But just a little.
On with the story.
Chapter Thirteen
"Your Highness, they're back," Beatrix announced. Garnet's tired eyes darted upwards to see her royal general standing in her office doorway. She had been pouring over papers for hours, but now she just stared at Beatrix, and for a moment, she looked like a child again, her eyes wide open.
"This soon?" she asked, already out of her seat and heading for the door. Beatrix smiled and nodded, and Garnet broke into a run, heading for the castle docks. She flew through the corridors and down stairs, her dress flailing behind her. She rounded the corner at the docks and saw the Tantalus ship and its crew. Steiner was speaking to Zidane on the ground, a few feet from the loading platform. She saw him and ran to him. He heard her footsteps and turned towards her, catching her up in his arms and twirling her in a circle. She smiled and sighed in relief, sneaking a kiss onto his cheek before he placed her down.
"See? Told you I'd be back," he said, holding her close to him. He closed his eyes, relaxing in her arms.
"Zidane and I were just discussing what he saw while in the city, your highness," said Steiner, drawing her attention away from Zidane. She pulled back to look at him only to see him looking to the top of the loading dock. Blank had appeared there, with Ellie leaning on him for support as he helped her off the ship. Zidane took Garnet's hand and led her towards them, and reached out with his other hand to help Ellie down the last few steps.
"I'm okay," she said, not taking his hand. "Much better now." Zidane nodded, withdrawing his hand.
"Dagger, this is Ellie. She is the only reason I am alive today," he said.
"Likewise," Ellie added, grinning sadly. "Good to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Garnet replied. "Welcome to Alexandria. Thank you so much for helping Zidane," she said, although she had no knowledge of what had happened the past three years.
"Let's get her to the royal physician," stated Beatrix, who had just arrived at the scene. "Get her back into shape in no time."
Zidane nodded, looking to Ellie, his face guilt stricken. "I'll come see you later," he told her as they walked away. She nodded in return, and was led away by Beatrix and Blank.
Later that night, Zidane and Garnet were seated on the balcony outside her room, watching the stars. Zidane had just finished explaining to Garnet what he and Ellie had experienced together.
"We were days away from carrying out this plan to escape when Tantalus broke in and found us. When we weren't able to get her out, it just about killed me. We were only nine days away from escaping together. Not that I'm not thankful to Tantalus, but she wouldn't have had to go through the past three weeks, you know?" he told her, his eyes darkening as he looked out over the horizon. She nodded in understanding.
"But you're both here now, and alive. Did you go visit her yet?"
"Yeah. She was sleeping, but she already looks a lot better. She had more color in her face. She was as white as me when I saw her down there."
A long silence followed. Garnet rested her head on Zidane's shoulder as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. He then turned and subconsciously placed a kiss on the top of her head, his mind wandering. After a long pause, he spoke.
"I heard about all the suitors. Ellie would go out and find out everything that she could about you and come back at night to tell me." Garnet lowered her eyes at this, her face sad.
"I never even looked at them. I was waiting for you . . . "
She raised her head to look at him, finding their faces only inches apart. They gazed at each other a moment before Zidane turned his head, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. She sighed deeply.
"I would have waited forever." She whispered.
"You'll never have to," he said, placing another kiss on her cheek.
"Do you promise you'll be here for me? No more running off?"
He kissed the tip of her nose, the gentleness making her tingle all over. He opened his mouth to answer her but she had already taken his face in her hands and pulled herself to him, capturing his mouth with hers.
He pulled her close, kissing passionately, at the same time releasing years of turmoil.
They pulled away after a moment, both out of breath. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with love.
"Zidane?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Stay with me tonight . . . please."
He looked at her, his face sober and serious.
"Are you sure?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.
"I've waited too long, I think we both have. I don't want to stall anymore."
She stood up then, reaching her hand out to him. He took it and stood, and followed her into her bedroom.
Later that night, Zidane would pull her close to him, feeling her skin against his. She sighed deeply, her eyes closed as she continued to sink further into bliss. He stroked her hair for a few silent minutes before whispering to her.
"Dagger?"
"Hmm?" she mumbled sleepily.
"I love you."
Her smile broadened as she nestled closer to him.
"I love you too, Zidane."
And finally, they were both home.
Chapter Thirteen
"Your Highness, they're back," Beatrix announced. Garnet's tired eyes darted upwards to see her royal general standing in her office doorway. She had been pouring over papers for hours, but now she just stared at Beatrix, and for a moment, she looked like a child again, her eyes wide open.
"This soon?" she asked, already out of her seat and heading for the door. Beatrix smiled and nodded, and Garnet broke into a run, heading for the castle docks. She flew through the corridors and down stairs, her dress flailing behind her. She rounded the corner at the docks and saw the Tantalus ship and its crew. Steiner was speaking to Zidane on the ground, a few feet from the loading platform. She saw him and ran to him. He heard her footsteps and turned towards her, catching her up in his arms and twirling her in a circle. She smiled and sighed in relief, sneaking a kiss onto his cheek before he placed her down.
"See? Told you I'd be back," he said, holding her close to him. He closed his eyes, relaxing in her arms.
"Zidane and I were just discussing what he saw while in the city, your highness," said Steiner, drawing her attention away from Zidane. She pulled back to look at him only to see him looking to the top of the loading dock. Blank had appeared there, with Ellie leaning on him for support as he helped her off the ship. Zidane took Garnet's hand and led her towards them, and reached out with his other hand to help Ellie down the last few steps.
"I'm okay," she said, not taking his hand. "Much better now." Zidane nodded, withdrawing his hand.
"Dagger, this is Ellie. She is the only reason I am alive today," he said.
"Likewise," Ellie added, grinning sadly. "Good to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Garnet replied. "Welcome to Alexandria. Thank you so much for helping Zidane," she said, although she had no knowledge of what had happened the past three years.
"Let's get her to the royal physician," stated Beatrix, who had just arrived at the scene. "Get her back into shape in no time."
Zidane nodded, looking to Ellie, his face guilt stricken. "I'll come see you later," he told her as they walked away. She nodded in return, and was led away by Beatrix and Blank.
Later that night, Zidane and Garnet were seated on the balcony outside her room, watching the stars. Zidane had just finished explaining to Garnet what he and Ellie had experienced together.
"We were days away from carrying out this plan to escape when Tantalus broke in and found us. When we weren't able to get her out, it just about killed me. We were only nine days away from escaping together. Not that I'm not thankful to Tantalus, but she wouldn't have had to go through the past three weeks, you know?" he told her, his eyes darkening as he looked out over the horizon. She nodded in understanding.
"But you're both here now, and alive. Did you go visit her yet?"
"Yeah. She was sleeping, but she already looks a lot better. She had more color in her face. She was as white as me when I saw her down there."
A long silence followed. Garnet rested her head on Zidane's shoulder as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. He then turned and subconsciously placed a kiss on the top of her head, his mind wandering. After a long pause, he spoke.
"I heard about all the suitors. Ellie would go out and find out everything that she could about you and come back at night to tell me." Garnet lowered her eyes at this, her face sad.
"I never even looked at them. I was waiting for you . . . "
She raised her head to look at him, finding their faces only inches apart. They gazed at each other a moment before Zidane turned his head, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. She sighed deeply.
"I would have waited forever." She whispered.
"You'll never have to," he said, placing another kiss on her cheek.
"Do you promise you'll be here for me? No more running off?"
He kissed the tip of her nose, the gentleness making her tingle all over. He opened his mouth to answer her but she had already taken his face in her hands and pulled herself to him, capturing his mouth with hers.
He pulled her close, kissing passionately, at the same time releasing years of turmoil.
They pulled away after a moment, both out of breath. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with love.
"Zidane?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Stay with me tonight . . . please."
He looked at her, his face sober and serious.
"Are you sure?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.
"I've waited too long, I think we both have. I don't want to stall anymore."
She stood up then, reaching her hand out to him. He took it and stood, and followed her into her bedroom.
Later that night, Zidane would pull her close to him, feeling her skin against his. She sighed deeply, her eyes closed as she continued to sink further into bliss. He stroked her hair for a few silent minutes before whispering to her.
"Dagger?"
"Hmm?" she mumbled sleepily.
"I love you."
Her smile broadened as she nestled closer to him.
"I love you too, Zidane."
And finally, they were both home.