Chapter Eighteen
"Tragedy"
A group a citizens witnessed the death of the "Kingdom's Daughter" yesterday evening near the sea. Eleanor Deminke Tehmin DeBarbarac slipped from a railing and fell into the sea yesterday while watching a routine from a local performer. Over 20 witnesses have all said that they watched in horror as she was cheering happily one moment, and the next was over the rail and gone. Reportedly 4 men, including the performer, ran to the edge and jumped in themselves and tried in vain to find her. Her body was found washed on shore 2 hours later.
Her father, her only living family member, declined an interview when asked. A memorial will be held in the Treno Center Gardens tomorrow.
Garnet's face fell as she read the article, tears filling her eyes.
"Oh my god," she sobbed, jumping to her feet and running from her office. She ran through the halls of the castle, clutching the newspaper in her hand, and headed towards her and Zidane's bedroom. She came around a corner to see him running towards her, panic written all over his face.
"Dagger! She's . . . " he choked out before falling to his knees, and she met him a second later.
"I know.Oh god Zidane I'm so sorry." She blurted out, and they both began crying, holding each other tightly on the floor of the hallway.
"Why did I let her go? Why her?!" he moaned, a pain filling his heart that was stronger than anything he'd felt before.
"I'm so sorry Zidane. If I had known . . . " Garnet sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder.
They remained there several minutes before Steiner and Beatrix rounded the corner.
"Your Majesty!" Steiner exclaimed when he saw them huddled on the floor together as Beatrix picked up the forgotten newspaper.
"Steiner . . . " she said, holding it up to show him the front page.
"YOU!!!" Zidane screamed, jumping up and turning on Beatrix. "This is your fault!!" he yelled, leaping towards her and knocking her to the floor.
"Why did you send her? You knew it was dangerous but you did it anyway and now she's dead!!" he screamed at her, pining her to the floor. "And what information do you have to show for it? Nothing!!" he continued to rage as Steiner pulled him off of her and shoved him towards Garnet.
"Stop it Zidane!" Dagger cried, looking to him with fear in her eyes.
"Damnit," Zidane breathed raggedly before taking off down the hall. "Zidane!" Garnet yelled after him, but he was gone. She turned back to Beatrix, and found herself unable to speak.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty ." Beatrix told her.
"Don't apologize to me." Garnet barked at her, turning on her heels and storming down the hall in the direction Zidane had gone.
Zidane stormed angrily into the bedroom, slamming the door so hard behind him that the walls shook. He found himself shaking as he grabbed his bag and began cramming his belongings into it so angrily that he carelessly fumbled with his dagger, making it slip from its sheath. He hissed in pain as the blade crossed the skin of his palm, leaving a cut across his hand.
"Damnit," he grunted as he grabbed a rag and wrapped it around his hand. He was tucking the end of the rag into the folds of the makeshift bandage when he heard the door open behind him. He turned to see Dagger staring at him, a confused look on her face. She glanced around the room and then back to him before roaring, "You're leaving AGAIN?!"
"Of course I am! Did you think I wouldn't go to the memorial?"
"YES! You can't go into Treno, Zidane. The war is coming and it's too dangerous."
"You sent her there!"
"That wasn't my idea!"
"Well I didn't see you trying to stop it!!"
Garnet opened her mouth to reply when they both heard the door open, and turned to see Beatrix's face peering at them.
"Zidane, can I speak-"
"GET OUT!!" Zidane and Garnet bellowed at the same time, and Beatrix disappeared before their voices had stopped bouncing off the walls.
"You can't go," Garnet said calmly, turning to face him again.
"You can't stop me."
"Watch me," she growled at him, her eyes squinting in anger. He looked at her, his mouth hanging open.
"You would do that? You would force me to stay here?"
"Yes, Zidane. I love you."
A silence devoured the room, neither saying a thing. Although this was not the first time she had told him she loved him, it was the first time the full scope of the declaration had hit the both of them. He could feel her need to not let him go, to never let him be in danger again. And he could feel her desperation to not be alone again. They stared at each other a moment before simultaneously taking a step forward and wrapping their arms around each other. He sighed into her hair, closing his eyes. They had not been this close for days, and now that they were guilt began to eat at him over what had almost happened shortly before Ellie's departure.
"I can't believe she's gone."
"I know Zidane. I'm so sorry," she replied, pulling away from him to look up at him and brush his hair from his eyes. "But we can't go to the memorial."
"I know," he said, defeated. They were both silent a moment before he spoke again.
"Can we send someone to leave a flower? Blank maybe?" he asked hopefully. She considered this before nodding.
"I don't see a problem with that, he was there with her anyway, it would look odd if he didn't attend," she replied. He nodded slightly, his eyes blank and sad. Her hand reached up to his cheek, softly brushing his skin.
"C'mon, let's go find Blank," she said, taking his hand.
"Okay."
As they opened the door, they found Beatrix leaning against the wall, waiting for them.
"Beatrix, Blank will be attending her memorial in Zidane's place. I'd like you to personally escort him, but do not let yourself be seen. I feel that a well known Alexandrian wouldn't be safe in Treno," Garnet dictated to her, not looking at her.
"Yes, your highness. Of course."
The next day, a crowd gathered at Treno Center Gardens. Flowers were thrown ceremoniously into the water by Ellie's father, Blank, and a small number of the DeBarbarac's mansion staff who had known her since childhood. A large number of Treno citizens had gathered at the gates of the gardens, quietly paying their respects to the girl they had watched grow up. Blank stood by the water blinking furiously, trying to keep his tears at bay. He had taken slight notice to the fact that Beatrix had left his side near the entrance of the gardens, and didn't know where she was now.
From a nearby rooftop, Beatrix peered down at the ceremony, her eyes trained on Blank. She had been there an hour, completely still and silent, watching for anything unusual. There was nothing of interest happening, just the ceremony with Ellie's father looking completely unconcerned, almost pleased. Beatrix glared at him, wishing she could just attack him right then. She shifted slightly, uncomfortable from laying on a rooftop for so long, when a noise called her attention to her right. She looked to see a figure a red cloak leap from the lower end of the roof onto the street below.
"Hey!!" she yelled, jumping up and following them off the roof. She caught a glimpse of red enter a nearby shop, and ran toward the door. She burst into the shop and looked around frantically, ignoring the odd looks she was receiving from customers.
"Beatrix?" she heard behind her, and turned to see Blank at the door of the shop. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just.uh.thought I saw someone I knew," she stammered, looking around bewildered. Who was that? She asked herself. Why were they watching me?
Without another word they turned and exited the store, and headed towards the tram station to head back to Alexandria. They sat at a table near the gangway where they would board their ship, but talked very little while waiting for the vessel.
"It was a nice ceremony," Beatrix commented quietly.
"Yeah," Blank replied halfheartedly, barely aware of anything around him. He nodded slightly, and looked up to see a shuttle approaching.
"Flight 294, Lindblum!" yelled the conductor.
"Ours should be here soon," commented Blank, who knew the transportation system like the back of his hand, having used it to escape law officials many times. Beatrix nodded, then allowed her eyes to drift over the crowd.
A few minutes later, Blank's voice broke her from her thoughts. "It's here."
She looked back at the gangway and saw a ship open its doors to allow the few people traveling into Treno to exit. They both stood, pulling their cloaks tighter around them, when something caught Beatrix's eye.a sliver of red among a crowd of different colors in line to board the ship to Lindblum. She pulled her hood closer to her face as she peered into the crowd, hoping she wasn't just seeing things.
The cars leaving a newly militarized Treno were quite packed, with people of all ages crowding onto the vessel. But in this mass of people, another flash of red caught her attention. The underside of a cloak briefly flashed and then was gone, and Beatrix didn't hesitate.
"Go back to Alexandria. There's something the Queen wanted me to do," she lied to Blank.
"Uh.Okay," he replied, and she instantly turned on her heel, running toward the other tram. The doors were closing as she leapt from the platform and into the crowd of people, the doors closing behind her. She quickly spotted the person she had followed, who was now wrapping themselves in their cloak, attempting to conceal the red underside of the black cloak.
Beatrix took a seat behind them, out of their sight, and lowered her hood once more. Whoever this person was, they seemed unaware of her presence, and Beatrix would prefer to keep it that way until she knew who she was dealing with.
"Tragedy"
A group a citizens witnessed the death of the "Kingdom's Daughter" yesterday evening near the sea. Eleanor Deminke Tehmin DeBarbarac slipped from a railing and fell into the sea yesterday while watching a routine from a local performer. Over 20 witnesses have all said that they watched in horror as she was cheering happily one moment, and the next was over the rail and gone. Reportedly 4 men, including the performer, ran to the edge and jumped in themselves and tried in vain to find her. Her body was found washed on shore 2 hours later.
Her father, her only living family member, declined an interview when asked. A memorial will be held in the Treno Center Gardens tomorrow.
Garnet's face fell as she read the article, tears filling her eyes.
"Oh my god," she sobbed, jumping to her feet and running from her office. She ran through the halls of the castle, clutching the newspaper in her hand, and headed towards her and Zidane's bedroom. She came around a corner to see him running towards her, panic written all over his face.
"Dagger! She's . . . " he choked out before falling to his knees, and she met him a second later.
"I know.Oh god Zidane I'm so sorry." She blurted out, and they both began crying, holding each other tightly on the floor of the hallway.
"Why did I let her go? Why her?!" he moaned, a pain filling his heart that was stronger than anything he'd felt before.
"I'm so sorry Zidane. If I had known . . . " Garnet sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder.
They remained there several minutes before Steiner and Beatrix rounded the corner.
"Your Majesty!" Steiner exclaimed when he saw them huddled on the floor together as Beatrix picked up the forgotten newspaper.
"Steiner . . . " she said, holding it up to show him the front page.
"YOU!!!" Zidane screamed, jumping up and turning on Beatrix. "This is your fault!!" he yelled, leaping towards her and knocking her to the floor.
"Why did you send her? You knew it was dangerous but you did it anyway and now she's dead!!" he screamed at her, pining her to the floor. "And what information do you have to show for it? Nothing!!" he continued to rage as Steiner pulled him off of her and shoved him towards Garnet.
"Stop it Zidane!" Dagger cried, looking to him with fear in her eyes.
"Damnit," Zidane breathed raggedly before taking off down the hall. "Zidane!" Garnet yelled after him, but he was gone. She turned back to Beatrix, and found herself unable to speak.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty ." Beatrix told her.
"Don't apologize to me." Garnet barked at her, turning on her heels and storming down the hall in the direction Zidane had gone.
Zidane stormed angrily into the bedroom, slamming the door so hard behind him that the walls shook. He found himself shaking as he grabbed his bag and began cramming his belongings into it so angrily that he carelessly fumbled with his dagger, making it slip from its sheath. He hissed in pain as the blade crossed the skin of his palm, leaving a cut across his hand.
"Damnit," he grunted as he grabbed a rag and wrapped it around his hand. He was tucking the end of the rag into the folds of the makeshift bandage when he heard the door open behind him. He turned to see Dagger staring at him, a confused look on her face. She glanced around the room and then back to him before roaring, "You're leaving AGAIN?!"
"Of course I am! Did you think I wouldn't go to the memorial?"
"YES! You can't go into Treno, Zidane. The war is coming and it's too dangerous."
"You sent her there!"
"That wasn't my idea!"
"Well I didn't see you trying to stop it!!"
Garnet opened her mouth to reply when they both heard the door open, and turned to see Beatrix's face peering at them.
"Zidane, can I speak-"
"GET OUT!!" Zidane and Garnet bellowed at the same time, and Beatrix disappeared before their voices had stopped bouncing off the walls.
"You can't go," Garnet said calmly, turning to face him again.
"You can't stop me."
"Watch me," she growled at him, her eyes squinting in anger. He looked at her, his mouth hanging open.
"You would do that? You would force me to stay here?"
"Yes, Zidane. I love you."
A silence devoured the room, neither saying a thing. Although this was not the first time she had told him she loved him, it was the first time the full scope of the declaration had hit the both of them. He could feel her need to not let him go, to never let him be in danger again. And he could feel her desperation to not be alone again. They stared at each other a moment before simultaneously taking a step forward and wrapping their arms around each other. He sighed into her hair, closing his eyes. They had not been this close for days, and now that they were guilt began to eat at him over what had almost happened shortly before Ellie's departure.
"I can't believe she's gone."
"I know Zidane. I'm so sorry," she replied, pulling away from him to look up at him and brush his hair from his eyes. "But we can't go to the memorial."
"I know," he said, defeated. They were both silent a moment before he spoke again.
"Can we send someone to leave a flower? Blank maybe?" he asked hopefully. She considered this before nodding.
"I don't see a problem with that, he was there with her anyway, it would look odd if he didn't attend," she replied. He nodded slightly, his eyes blank and sad. Her hand reached up to his cheek, softly brushing his skin.
"C'mon, let's go find Blank," she said, taking his hand.
"Okay."
As they opened the door, they found Beatrix leaning against the wall, waiting for them.
"Beatrix, Blank will be attending her memorial in Zidane's place. I'd like you to personally escort him, but do not let yourself be seen. I feel that a well known Alexandrian wouldn't be safe in Treno," Garnet dictated to her, not looking at her.
"Yes, your highness. Of course."
The next day, a crowd gathered at Treno Center Gardens. Flowers were thrown ceremoniously into the water by Ellie's father, Blank, and a small number of the DeBarbarac's mansion staff who had known her since childhood. A large number of Treno citizens had gathered at the gates of the gardens, quietly paying their respects to the girl they had watched grow up. Blank stood by the water blinking furiously, trying to keep his tears at bay. He had taken slight notice to the fact that Beatrix had left his side near the entrance of the gardens, and didn't know where she was now.
From a nearby rooftop, Beatrix peered down at the ceremony, her eyes trained on Blank. She had been there an hour, completely still and silent, watching for anything unusual. There was nothing of interest happening, just the ceremony with Ellie's father looking completely unconcerned, almost pleased. Beatrix glared at him, wishing she could just attack him right then. She shifted slightly, uncomfortable from laying on a rooftop for so long, when a noise called her attention to her right. She looked to see a figure a red cloak leap from the lower end of the roof onto the street below.
"Hey!!" she yelled, jumping up and following them off the roof. She caught a glimpse of red enter a nearby shop, and ran toward the door. She burst into the shop and looked around frantically, ignoring the odd looks she was receiving from customers.
"Beatrix?" she heard behind her, and turned to see Blank at the door of the shop. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I just.uh.thought I saw someone I knew," she stammered, looking around bewildered. Who was that? She asked herself. Why were they watching me?
Without another word they turned and exited the store, and headed towards the tram station to head back to Alexandria. They sat at a table near the gangway where they would board their ship, but talked very little while waiting for the vessel.
"It was a nice ceremony," Beatrix commented quietly.
"Yeah," Blank replied halfheartedly, barely aware of anything around him. He nodded slightly, and looked up to see a shuttle approaching.
"Flight 294, Lindblum!" yelled the conductor.
"Ours should be here soon," commented Blank, who knew the transportation system like the back of his hand, having used it to escape law officials many times. Beatrix nodded, then allowed her eyes to drift over the crowd.
A few minutes later, Blank's voice broke her from her thoughts. "It's here."
She looked back at the gangway and saw a ship open its doors to allow the few people traveling into Treno to exit. They both stood, pulling their cloaks tighter around them, when something caught Beatrix's eye.a sliver of red among a crowd of different colors in line to board the ship to Lindblum. She pulled her hood closer to her face as she peered into the crowd, hoping she wasn't just seeing things.
The cars leaving a newly militarized Treno were quite packed, with people of all ages crowding onto the vessel. But in this mass of people, another flash of red caught her attention. The underside of a cloak briefly flashed and then was gone, and Beatrix didn't hesitate.
"Go back to Alexandria. There's something the Queen wanted me to do," she lied to Blank.
"Uh.Okay," he replied, and she instantly turned on her heel, running toward the other tram. The doors were closing as she leapt from the platform and into the crowd of people, the doors closing behind her. She quickly spotted the person she had followed, who was now wrapping themselves in their cloak, attempting to conceal the red underside of the black cloak.
Beatrix took a seat behind them, out of their sight, and lowered her hood once more. Whoever this person was, they seemed unaware of her presence, and Beatrix would prefer to keep it that way until she knew who she was dealing with.