By Robertdogwood
Final Fantasy IX characters and locations from said game are owned by SquareSoft.
PG-13 for language and slight nudity
Chapter Nine
Everyone involved had finally wended their way to the Palace in Lindblum. Queen Garnet received some medical attention and something more appropriate to wear. While Jesse Helot was being escorted by some of the Palace guards to a dungeon cell where he would remain until he was transported back to Alexandria in chains to stand trial under the serious charges of Sedition and Treason, the rest of the party traveled to the Regent's Throne Room.
After they all tramped inside the large ornate room, they apparently surprised Cid and Baku who appeared to be involved in quite an agitated conversation. Baku was totally unable to keep his expression of astonishment off his face at not only the size of the group who were now suddenly standing before him, but also some of the people that it contained.
Cid flushed deep crimson to be caught figuratively with his pants down, as he was unable to arrive at any sort of an appropriate response to the scene set before him.
Lady Hildagarde marched up to him and spoke quietly but forcefully, "Ok Cid, enough is enough. Spill it."
Cid looked helplessly from one member of the group to another for any obvious support written on their face. Finally admitting to himself there was none present, not even from Eiko who appeared especially irritated with him, he acquiesced.
"Alright," he declared holding his hands up as in surrender. "Everyone, sit down," he directed. "This may take awhile."
After everyone was comfortably seated and looking at him in total askance of a explanation to all of their questions, Cid began. "Approximately a month ago a very persistent rumor reached my ears that certain parties were going to attempt to remove Garnet from the throne and take over the reins of the government themselves. Regardless of my relationship to Garnet and my feelings towards her, this happenstance could negatively affect our kingdom as well."
"Unfortunately I didn't feel as though the correct thing to do would be to warn you, because of a number of reasons; the main one being that I really didn't have any factual information to go on. I assumed and rightly so I still believe that you, Garnet, would have refused to believe me and even if you had, you would have refused to go into hiding."
"And I was worried by telling you that it would somehow alert the rebels and they would go further underground therefore making it that much harder to root them out when the time came. So first I reached out to Baku, as I have done in the past."
Here Cid nodded at the rather rotund bandit leader and then continued. "And when he and his fellows, through no fault of their own I might add, could not find a trace who the traitors might be I had him go ahead and kidnap the Queen to keep her safe, I thought."
"I was keeping close tabs on her through Artania's reports to me on the matter. I should have realized that with all that she's been through Garnet would not be comfortable to just remain a bird in a gilded cage but would attempt to escape."
I was hoping that her mysterious disappearance would cause the rebels to step forward and eventually it did, I suppose. I did realize, however, that the entire scheme was unraveling badly by the time Zidane and this larger fellow showed up searching for Garnet. It suddenly seemed as if everybody was asking me where Garnet was."
"Well, you did know where she was," accused Lady Hildagarde.
"Quite right, my dear, of course," Cid answered, while stroking the ends of his long mustache nervously.
"Why I ought to turn you into a little worm, Cid," his elegant wife threatened.
Eiko jumped up from her chair and rushed to the Regent's side. "Don't mother," she pleaded. "For my sake, no child wants a worm for a father and besides it's all turned out well, hasn't it everybody?"
Zidane stood up and pulled Garnet from her chair to him, giving her another hug, the hundred and fiftieth since being reunited with her. "Garnet and I are happy. That should be enough for anyone, shouldn't it love?" he asked his wife.
She smiled and offered him a chaste kiss on his cheek, ever mindful that she was Queen and represented the throne of Alexandria, no matter how badly she desired to return to Alexandria and share love anew with her husband.
Amarant questioned, "So why tear up their bedroom so or were you searching for something as Zidane had surmised?"
"I had only advised Baku to make certain it looked as if thieves were looking for something of value and that kidnapping the Queen was just an afterthought, as though she had been taken to keep her from identifying them. As to what his group of ruffians did after that, I really can't say," the Regent explained looking in askance at Baku.
The gang leader, flushed, and scratched the back of his head before deigning to answer. "I just told them to go through some stuff. I didn't tell them to make a shambles of the place and I certainly didn't tell them to lose their Inn room key!"
"Haha!" Zidane laughed. "Who did that, by the way? I meant to ask you."
Baku shook his head. "Nobody would own it although I offered to beat it out of all of them, but I didn't have time. Things were moving too quickly by that time.
"What prompted Jesse Helot to act in such a manner? What was he hoping to accomplish?" Freya asked.
Cid responded, "It would appear that Helot planned to take over the throne and govern the country in a dictatorship, although I am certain he would explain it as an enlightened despotism. I'm positive that to maintain power in the beginning he would merge his power to include Karl Handsome's party but later after he could get his private army in replacement of the real Alexandrian army he would begin to systemically root out anyone who might match him in power."
"So Karl Handsome was in league with him?" Steiner asked.
"No, I don't believe he was. Actually I suspect Karl is rather on the dim side and probably didn't know a thing about it and wouldn't have until Jesse was in power. Then if people wanted to survive they would have had a choice to make - either join with Jesse or be put to death as traitors to the state," Cid answered.
"Wow! That would have been pretty ironic," Freya commented, "to be put to death as a traitor by a traitor."
"Yes, it would have," the Regent agreed. "Although history is full of such ironies."
"I don't know about anybody else, but I am eager to commence my journey home to Alexandria," Steiner announced.
"What's the matter, Steiner? Trying to avoid those Lindblum Gysahl pickles?" Garnet asked with a giggle.
Steiner flushed uncomfortably. The Queen of course was referring to the occasion when Steiner snuck Garnet through South Gate in a sack of smelly Gysahl pickles, although that certainly wasn't the entire story. The brave knight had inadvertently turned around at an inopportune time when Garnet was emerging from the sack in a more than underdressed condition because she hadn't wanted her clothes to reek of pickles for the remainder of their journey to Alexandria.
Steiner had been woefully embarrassed and kept speaking of permission to poke his eyes out for their misconduct. Only being a young princess at the time, Garnet realizing the whole episode had been a mere accident was a good sport about it and just laughed.
Steiner had elicited her vow of secrecy concerning the incident and it was this that worried him so now. The loyal knight should not have worried so. The young Queen might have had faults but indiscretion and not keeping her word was not one of them.
"No, your Majesty," he intoned in explanation. "I wish to arrive back at Alexandria as quickly as possible in order to help my wife, Lady Beatrix, until your safe return."
"Of course, Steiner," the Queen answered. "How unfair of me."
"You're welcome to fly with us on our Chocobos, isn't he, Fratley?" Freya offered.
Sir Fratley nodded sagaciously but said nothing desiring only to get on with it so they could return to his beloved Burmecia as quickly as possible. All of this small talk was making him impatient. The Queen was safe. That was the important thing. The whys and wherefores did not interest him in the least.
Steiner blanched at the thought. He was not overly fond of Chocobo flight, although remembering the capriciousness of the airship flight initially to Lindblum caused him to say he would be most happy to go with them. As the trio of heroes bowed to the Queen to leave her presence, she told them, "Godspeed and thanks be to you all for your great service in my name. Steiner, please help Beatrix hold everything together until we return."
"I will, your Majesty," he assured Garnet.
Amarant explained, "I'm leaving too but I think I'll go see when the next airship is scheduled to leave for Alexandria. I've had some bad experiences with Chocobos in the past."
Hiding his first impulse to laugh, Zidane offered his gratitude to Amarant for all of his assistance. After they had exited Lady Hildagarde asked, "What will happen now to Mr. Helot?" Cid's wife was pointedly not using Jesse's title as a representative of the Parliament of Alexandria.
"He'll be put on trial for Sedition and when found guilty which I have no doubt he will be he'll then be sentenced to death," Garnet answered.
Eiko gasped and covered her Mog's ears while her good foster mother exclaimed, "Oh, how awful."
The Queen giggled most inappropriately and replied, "Oh, I'll commute his sentence to life imprisonment without parole, but after a few years he'll wish he had just been put to death."
"He looks in fine shape for his age so he'll probably live another forty to fifty years," Zidane offered.
"So what did happen in that 'safe' environment Cid had you placed in anyway, Garnet?" Lady Hildagarde went on to ask.
Cid flushed, coughed into his hand and looked away while the young Queen replied, "I think that's best left unsaid. After all, Uncle Cid's heart was in the right place." Garnet beamed her smile at the grateful Regent.
"It's not his heart I ever worry about," his wife countered. "It's his mind I'm most concerned with."
"Now Hildy," Cid attempted to assuage his beautiful wife.
"Don't Hildy me, you scoundrel."
Attempting to change the subject, Minister Artania asked the visiting Mogs, "So will you be staying the night?"
Morrison the Mog said, "Certainly not, we have to get back to Madain Sari as soon as possible."
"No way, no way," Montrose exploded. "I've come to see Lady Eiko and see Lady Eiko I will."
"Yes, that's right, Morrison," Eiko agreed. "Zidane and Garnet will drop you off from an airship tomorrow."
"Well, hopefully they'll land first," joked Montrose the Mog.
"What?!" screeched Morrison, his pom-pom waving wildly above his head.
"Montose is just teasing, Morrison. You stop that, Montrose," cautioned Eiko.
Montrose hung his head in shame hitting Eiko with his pom-pom knocking her slightly backwards. "I'm sorry," the Mog said.
"Montrose! Will you please be careful. You're striking Lady Eiko," Morrison accused.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he again stated while beginning to lower his head again. Eiko grabbed him and pulled his head up. "No more apologies. I can't stand them right now. Let's go," she directed and the small girl and the three Mogs left the room.
"Well, I am a bit tired," Garnet offered.
When Cid made no response, Lady Hildagarde kicked him in the ankle. "Ow!" the Regent exclaimed. "What is it now, Hildagarde?"
"Cid, didn't you just hear - oh never mind. Come on, you two. I'll show you to your room myself," and she led the two young people from the throne room. Behind them Baku and Cid were once again as thick as thieves. Lady Hildagarde just knew they were busy with the planning of their lies to cover their miserable backsides.
After escorting the royal couple into one of the large guest bedrooms, Lady Hildagarde dropped her voice conspiratorially and spoke. "You can tell me, dear. I won't say anything. What really happened in that school?"
"Nothing, really," smiled Garnet. "It was just fine."
Cid's wife sighed loudly. She knew people were being less than forthright with her but she was intelligent to realize she was never going to learn anything further.
"Well, I'll leave you children to your own devices. And I'll make certain Cid has his fastest airship ready to transport you home tomorrow. As far as I'm concerned, it's the least he can do."
"We're so grateful," murmured the Queen.
"Yeah, thanks a lot," Zidane reaffirmed.
"You're certainly welcome," Lady Hildagarde replied leaving the room and pulling the door closed behind her.
"Welcome home," smiled Garnet.
"Home? We're not in Alexandria."
"I've decided that wherever we are, if we're together, then we're home," explained the lovely young woman.
"I like your thinking," Zidane responded, and bent down and lovingly kissed her.
Both of the young warrior women looked up in surprise when the inner doors opened and someone walked in without seeking permission to enter first.
"Steiner!" Beatrix joyously cried out as she immediately espied the solid form of her beloved husband. Lani smiled to herself watching how much at peace the fearsome female warrior suddenly appeared at the sight of her husband arriving back home safely.
After their initial happy hug and kiss, Steiner went on to explain that Queen Garnet was safe and she and the Royal Prince would appear in Alexandria on the morrow.
"And you'll never guess who was behind it all," Steiner spoke excitedly.
"Jesse Helot," Lani interrupted.
Steiner's mouth fell open for a few seconds in shock. "However did you know?" he was finally able to ask.
Beatrix explained how the female soldier, mercenary, and politician joined forces to save Alexandria from being taken over in a coup by Helot's second-in-command, Tyson Michaels and his private army of brown shirts.
When his lovely wife had concluded, Steiner's eyes were shining in pride when he congratulated them for a job well done.
From the table in the back of the stylishly semi-darkened restaurant Carlin Phelps sighed and softly called out, "Karl, back here."
He had been wandering around the establishment for the last five minutes searching for her. Arriving at the table, Karl took a seat and spoke, "Ah, Carlin, as beautiful as ever."
"Can it," the female politician retorted. "I would like to get home to my husband for a change. What do you want, anyway?"
"Well, I…..," Karl said and then stopped. "I was wondering if…"
"I know, Karl. Let me say it for you," the irritated beauty interrupted. "You want to know if you're in any trouble."
"Yes, yes, that's it exactly," Karl agreed excitedly.
"Well, is there a reason you should be?" Carlin inquired caustically.
"Of course not! I didn't know anything about any of it. I was just frightened that people might think I did, since I appeared to have a working relationship with Jesse."
"No, Karl," Carlin smiled. "Nobody ever thinks you know about anything."
"Oh good," the man answered, the relief evident in his voice.
Garnet stepped out of their private bathroom connected to the guest bedroom. She was grateful to see her husband had already turned out the bedroom lights. The moonlight that shone in through the bedroom windows was more than enough to see by to negotiate the room.
The beautiful young woman made her way to the side of the queen-sized bed, dropped her dressing gown down to the floor and slid into the bed to lie beside her husband. Garnet observed Zidane's eyes were closed and he appeared to be breathing deeply and she disappointedly wondered if she had taken too long in her preparation in the bathroom and he had fallen asleep.
Suddenly one of his eyes flew open and he smiled deeply at her.
"Oh you!" Garnet exclaimed with a laugh and she threw herself on her husband in an embrace.
"I love you, Garnet," murmured Zidane.
"I love you too, my husband," the young Queen echoed. And so it went throughout the beautiful night.
A/N Thank you for the very kind reviews. I have really enjoyed writing this when there are people who enjoy reading it. I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Ifalna who helped me with the end of chapter eight and Vick330 who has offered very valuable suggestions to me from the beginning and his support all the way through.
I would like to dedicate this fic to all the people who have done their best to keep the Fantasy alive. In the world today, we need all the fantasies we can get.