A/N: Hello all! Kaslinn speaking ^_^ I finally got a new computer, so as promised, here is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy--Garnet/Dagger lovers rejoice! Your favorite Princess is finally involved! Oh yeah...
Disclaimer: I own nothing.....well, perhaps not nothing, but at the very least, I don't own Final Fantasy IX. *snaps fingers* Drat....
* Denotes Mental Speech (Just in case the italics don't work….I am trying this on a new computer, after all.)
III
Princess Garnet Til Alexandros awoke with a start from one of the strangest dreams she'd had in a long time. For a moment, she was slightly disoriented; having been dreaming of something quite different from her surroundings, her still half asleep mind found no correlation between the two. But as she slowly came to awareness she realized she was still in her very own room, seated in the very same chair she'd sat upon to "rest her tired feet," and dressed in the very same gown she'd stepped into (with difficulty, considering it involved a corset) that morning.
The noon sun shining bright overhead, bringing in warm rays of golden light through her opened balcony window testified that it she had unintentionally slept straight through luncheon, and consequently, a meeting with another suitor for her hand in marriage. Not that Garnet felt any particular sorrow for missing that happy occasion, but she was rather hungry, and it was to be sure that the suitor would be most displeased.
*Mother is going to strangle me*, the young princess thought miserably.
A insistent knock on her bedroom door moments after the notion had passed through her head made Garnet believe the Queen of Alexandria could read her mind sometimes. She stood, habitually smoothing the folds of her satin dress and smoothing her chocolate brown tresses with ivory gloved hands, calling out, "Come in!" and trying to keep her face from twisting into an expectant grimace.
However, the women who strode purposefully into her room was not her mother, but rather Garnet's most trusted friend, General Beatrix, commander of the Alexandrian elite soldiers. Though several years her senior, the General had been by Garnet's side since she was very small, always looking out for the welfare of the princess and playing surrogate mother when the Queen was attending matters pertaining to the kingdom. Beatrix's wisdom was unrivaled, and Garnet most often turned to her for answers to life's everyday problems when her mother was not to be bothered.
But Beatrix didn't seem to be in any mood to offer her advice this particular afternoon; in fact, she seemed downright aggravated. She planted herself in front of the young princess, hands on her slim hips, an exasperated look expressed on her face only by the tightness of her lips and the steely look in her remaining dark gray eye (the other covered up by cloth, no doubt disguising a battle scar from days long past).
Needless to say, Garnet shrank back a few steps. The General was known to become violent when upset, after all. Trying to sound innocent, she asked timidly, "Yes, Beatrix...?"
The older woman tossed a few thick, dark copper curls over her shoulder in agitation. "Don't you 'Yes Beatrix' me, Princess. Do you have any idea of the trouble you have put me in?" Without giving Garnet time to answer, she continued on, "What were you thinking? Why were you not in attendance for the meeting with Duke Bartholomew? I know you tire of these arrangements, you Highness, but it is for your own welfare! Your sixteenth birthday is arriving all too soon, and if you do not find a man before then, I will undoubtedly be blamed for it!"
This was true, Garnet knew--her mother liked to blame Beatrix for her daughter's lack of enthusiasm on the matter of wedding--and there wasn't a moment she escaped the constant nagging about the subject from the young General, but in this case, she hadn't intentionally skipped the meeting (although she had done it before, which was probably why Beatrix was fuming). "Calm down, Beatrix! I fell asleep, that's all! I shall speak to the Duke shortly and apologize for my absence! And I shall also see to it that mother does not blame you for this."
Beatrix crossed her arms, the stern expression fading to one of mirth. "I'd like to see you try, Princess. The Duke had left in a mad fit of rage and your mother is beside herself with anger--I'm certain I've already been added to her list of people to behead."
"So it wouldn't hurt if I put in a good word for you, then," Garnet replied vaguely, wandering over to the balcony and shutting the doors with a snap. Her gaze did not return to her friend, her sepia eyes instead looking out over the thatched roofs of Alexandria Square to the mist covered lands just outside her window with a hint of longing. All her years she'd looked out over those hills and valleys, wondering what it would be like to travel them, only to visit the unexplored realms in books and in her dreams.
A frown formed over her lips then, as her thoughts drifted back to her most recent dream. She hadn't been on land in that one, in fact, she didn't really know if she had actually been present in the dream at all, or merely a spectator. The details were slipping away from her the more she tried to recall them, and before long, all Garnet could remember was the turbulent gray ocean and two very frightened people clinging tightly to the mast of a small boat. The outcome of the dream and the identity of the two people were lost to the haze of her waking mind.
Beatrix's light touch on her should brought her out of her reverie. "Your Highness? Is something wrong? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a suitor soon..."
Garnet shook her head, a smile finding its way back to her face at her friend's misinterpreted concern. She could care less about marriage at the moment. "It's not that, Beatrix. I was just remembering a dream I had in passing, but it's not important. Would you please accompany me to the dining hall before I have to face my mother? I'm afraid I also slept through luncheon."
"Oh, that reminds me. I had another reason for gracing you with my presence other than to lecture you," Garnet chuckled softly at his, allowing Beatrix to usher her toward the door, "Your mother wished me to inform you that you shall be accompanying herself and the King to Lindblum this evening to visit the Regent and the Lady Hilda, so gather your things together."
Garnet stopped in the doorway, bringing Beatrix with her. "This evening? Why so sudden?"
"I was not told specifically, your Highness, but if I had to guess, I would say your uncle wishes to give you your birthday present." Beatrix said, winking. "Now, are we going to the dining hall or not?"
"Oh no!" Garnet exclaimed, rushing back inside her room. "I must get ready! Father hates it when I'm late!"
"You don't have to tell me that," Beatrix called after her with a laugh. "I'll be back soon to escort you to the airship, Princess. And do try not to fall asleep again; you'd most likely miss your ride and I shudder to think what Alexandria will be like with you running the country while your parents are away."
Though not the most monarchical behavior she could have displayed (but not that she particularly cared), Garnet threw a plush pillow at her friend's retreating back; it struck the door with a soft thwump and the hallways echoed with Beatrix's laughter.
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
That evening, upon boarding her mother and father's flag ship, the Red Rose, and with one and a half days tedious traveling all that there was to look forward to, Garnet severely regretted her choice to attend on the trip; thoughts of how she could have managed to avoid going ran endlessly through her head. She had always hated traveling by airship--it gave both her and her mother a frightfully bad case of nausea, which lead to an altogether unenjoyable ride, what with both of them acting rather crossly and her father's inability to be compassionate at such times.
Only the thoughts of seeing her dear Uncle Cid and Aunt Hilda sustained Garnet over the horrendous passage, and when the morning of their arrival dawned clear and bright, she could not have been more relieved. Dressed in their best, Garnet, her mother, and her father stepped onto the docking platform inside the heart of Lindblum Grand Castle itself into the "warm welcome" of a half dozen or so stone faced soldiers. They bowed accordingly, but with little to no expression, and the leader of the bunch greeted tonelessly, "Welcome to Lindblum, your Majesties."
Before the soldier could continue with his obviously well rehearsed welcoming, Garnet's father, King Kyougu, cleared his throat, effectively stopping the man. "Where is the Regent? He usually greets us personally." His stern features and chiseled mask of the utmost calm betraying nothing of his inner feelings, though his voice carried a note of frustration. The King was normally a patient man, but prolonged exposure to his ill tempered wife and daughter whilst under the influence of airship sickness would make anyone irritable.
Their chief escort bowed again. "The Regent wishes me to express to you his regret that he could not welcome you in person, your Majesties. There was trouble in the dungeons and milord's presence was necessary. But if you would please follow me, I will lead you to the Conference Room, and the Regent will join you shortly."
The King nodded his approval, saying nothing more in response, and the escort led them from the airship docks.
Garnet followed obediently behind her mother, gazing at awe at the splendor that was her Uncle's well managed castle. No matter how many times she visited, the dwarfing size of Lindblum in comparison to Alexandria never ceased to amaze her. The kingdom she was to rule was not by any means small, but the simple fact that Lindblum was so much more advanced in technology made the White City seem archaic and old fashioned, and, consequently, figuratively tiny. Everywhere she looked there were machines, machines that ran on steam power rather than Mist (the staple for fuel in Alexandria and a vast majority of the continent) that powered the electric lights of the castle and performed countless other duties made many times easier and much more efficient than any man could have done. It was truly a sight to behold.
It wasn't until the lack of noise from the their escorts' metal booted feet registered in her ears that Garnet realized that she had managed to wander off. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, and she was no where near the docking station--in fact, this was an area of the castle she'd never even seen before. Lindblum Palace was huge, vast even, and there had been a definite reason the Regent had sent an escort to watch over them: it was insanely easy to become lost in its richly decorated hallways and crimson carpeted passages, as Garnet was beginning to discover. Why the soldiers hadn't kept her under watch as they were no doubt supposed to was a mystery to Garnet, but then again, it had been clear that the men hadn't exactly been ecstatic about their arrival, and therefore probably couldn't care less about the small, timid girl trailing behind her parents.
*They couldn't care less if I'm stuck wandering the halls aimlessly for the rest of my days*, the young princess thought bitterly, then shook her head so vigorously her tiara jostled loose, a cascade of rich brown locks falling down her back. Not noticing this, Garnet scolded herself mentally for such thoughts. She was overreacting. Once her parents discovered she was missing, the entire Lindblum staff and servants would be out looking for her, and as long as she stayed put, she would certainly be found within minutes.
*After all, what harm could come to me within my Uncle's castle?* she chided herself, looking expectantly along the corridor ahead of her for the herd of frantic workers.
She was so intent on glaring down that dimly lit passageway (Garnet noticed with intrigue that unlike the rest of the castle, this passage was lit only by candle light) that she barely spared a glance behind her. And if to contradict her previous thought, something hard slammed into her full force from behind, sending her sprawling to the floor with a cry, her attacker landing squarely on top of her.
Disoriented, Garnet blinked harshly a few times to ease her spinning vision, then gave a sharp gasp as the person who had assaulted her lifted her roughly to her feet. Spinning, she found herself staring into a pair of fathomless cerulean eyes, full of panic and wide with adrenaline, but not without an apologetic hint. The boy standing before her not only had impossibly blue eyes, but an untidy mop of sun bleached blond hair and a desirable physique. Garnet would have considered him gorgeous, had it not been for two things. One, the blood covering his white cotton shirt and hands, and two, the tannish tail swishing furiously behind him.
Garnet shrieked upon seeing the latter, her feet unconsciously taking her a few faltering steps backward. Her face visibly paled, causing her widened brown eyes to seem doe-like in more ways than one. *A non-human! Here, in the castle! How...? How?* Garnet's brain refused to operate under the stress of coming face to face with one of the most dangerous and detested creatures on Gaia, a Genome, and even the simplest thoughts of escape fled from her, leaving her to stare, terrified, at the freak in front of her.
He took a step toward her; Garnet backed up hastily, only to find her back was now at a wall. Trapped. She was trapped...! "Please!" she whispered, unable to find volume to add to her voice, her vocal cords numb with fear. "Please don't hurt me!" It was then, in a moment of clarity, that Garnet realized that the Genome before her must be an escaped prisoner, and she was in far more danger than she could have realized. Her wanderings had brought her straight into the bowls of the Lindblum dungeons--the only area of the palace not lit by electricity. An involuntary shudder raced down her spine as tales of the infamous prisoners of the Regency unfolded in her mind; the young princess whimpered softly, wanting to look away from the thing before her but much too afraid to take her gaze from it.
The Genome, however, only continued to stare at her with perplexed cobalt eyes.
Then his head snapped around as the sound of running footsteps and loud shouting echoed up the corridors from where he had come.
Garnet nearly fainted in relief. That would be the guards, coming to her rescue! She would be saved at last.
Then the Genome did something Garnet's naive mind never expected. Reaching out with the speed of a striking viper, he snatched her away from the wall, holding her arms firmly by her sides with one arm while the other snaked around her unprotected neck, just as the soldiers came into view.
The young princess dared not to struggle, though terror was spiking ever higher through her veins. Was this how she was to die? In the arms of a ruthless killer?
*I didn't even tell my mother I loved her this morning.…*
In the seconds of silence that fell after she had been taken captive and just before the soldiers surrounded them, her attacker said calmly into her ear, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. You're just gonna help me get outta here."
Though far from being reassured by this, Garnet remained motionless as the guards leveled their weapons at the blond. Someone pushed through the ring of white robed soldiers--a man grabbed in rusting plate metal whom Garnet recognized as one of the captains from Alexandria that had accompanied the Royal family. His presence there, while appreciated, was not entirely soothing. Steiner, as was the man's name, had been in her father's service for years, since before she was born, and was consequently rather attached to her, preferring very much to be her own personal body guard.
*And a poor one at that!* Garnet thought distractedly, feeling all too tightly the arm wrapped around her neck. She met the man's gaze with her own, not trusting her voice, nor her courage, to call out.
Upon recognizing the face of the chocolate haired woman held captive, Captain Adelbert Steiner gestured wildly at the Lindblum soldiers around him. "Lower you weapons!" He commanded, lowering his own broadsword (but not sheathing it), then forcibly pushed the sword tip of the nearest guard to the marble floor. "Lower your weapons this instant! That is the Princess of Alexandria, you fools!"
Garnet's heart leapt to her throat as the men reluctantly obeyed, and the smooth voice of the Genome swept across her ear. "Now that I have your attention, I have a request. Hear me out or her Highness won't live to see the year of her reign."
"How dare you threaten--!" Steiner began, face livid beneath the metal helm he wore.
"I don't like hurting ladies, knight," the Genome said loudly, covering up soldier's outraged protests, "but if you don't shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say, then I will have to resort to violence."
"I do believe you're being quite violent as it is!" Garnet protested indignantly, then quickly gasped, shutting her mouth hastily. Horrified that she had provoked her captor, she flinched, awaiting the asphyxiation of the arm wound around her windpipe. But when nothing happened, the Princess glanced a quick look at the Genome's face. To her surprise, he was in fact looking right at her, and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement, presumably at her adrenaline induced comment. Garnet hardly found the situation funny--she was mortified that such a remark had escaped her mouth in the first place--but at least the blond hadn't been offended. So far, he was holding to his word about not harming her. For now. And although not any less terrified, Garnet found herself (reluctantly) curious about her strange captor. She had always heard that Genomes would attack anyone upon sighting, but yet the blond was acting almost....polite. Well, aside from the hostage situation, of course.
Turning back to the guards, the Genome fixed Steiner with an look of impatience. "Now, will you hear what I have to say?"
There was a moment of silence before the rusty armored knight spat in response, "Speak your peace, devil child, before I cut our your tongue."
"Thank you very much," the tailed boy quipped, bobbing a blond head in mockery of a bow. "As I was saying, I have a request. Actually, a trade if you will. I'll release this beautiful girl here if you allow me and my sister passage out of your hospitable dungeon."
"Impossible!" Roared Steiner, (loudly) waving an iron clad fist. "No prisoner has even been released!"
The Genome shrugged. "Well then, I hope you have a lovely time trying to explain her Highness's untimely death to her parents."
As this conversation was going on around her, Garnet's thoughts were in a whirl. Confusion, panic, anger....all these emotions were wrapped so tightly around her brain it felt as if it were going to explode. The words from both her would-be rescuers and captor slowly penetrated that haze one thought at a time.
*Did he just call me beautiful?
Wait a minute....he's going to kill me! He said he wouldn't!
....Why did I trust the word of a Genome? Of course he's going to kill me!*
Panic drove her to speak at that last train of thought. "Steiner, please! Just do as he says!" Eyes watering, she added silently, *I don't want to die....!*
Hesitancy was evident on the captain's face; around him, the soldiers shifted anxiously, unsure of what to do and wondering what their orders were to be next. They all snapped to attention, however, when Steiner's commands boomed out. "You there!" He pointed at a cluster of Lindblum guards, "Go and inform the Regent and his guests about what has transpired here. Now!" The aforementioned soldiers scrambled off to do so; Steiner barked out orders to the rest of the men, "Everyone else....let them go....for now." Saluting hesitantly, the ring of guardsmen parted, allowing the Genome passage back to the direction of the dungeons.
"Thanks very much," said the Genome, smiling suavely--the gesture was not returned as he smoothly made his way our of the circle, dragging Garnet with him.
"I swear on my honor as a knight, you worthless trash," Steiner growled as the blond passed by him, "that when I get my hands on you I'll--"
Again, he was cut off by the smooth talking criminal. "I'll be long gone in just a few minutes, captain. Your revenge will just have to wait." A growl was all he got in response.
Garnet looked desperately backward as she was pulled away by her captor; she watched the line of soldiers vanish around the corner, feeling cold fear creep higher up her throat when the last man's face had gone. She was now on her own. Help was coming, she knew, but depending on when it came, it could be of little to use to her. If she wanted to live, she would have to escape on her own. "Please," she said, attempting to pour as much confidence into her tremulous voice as was possible for the situation; her sporadic adrenaline rush had faded, leaving her visibly shaken again. "Please, just let me go. You're only making this worse for yourself---"
"And how could that be, Highness?" He cut her off, cobalt eyes flashing with sudden ire. "Pray, tell me how I could do anything to make this situation worse?" Stopping at a fork in the path, he pushed her into a shadowy corner and braced his arms against the stone wall on either side of her, preventing an easy escape. Without giving her a chance to reply, the Genome went on; there was no smile on his face now, no facade of calm as he said, "Listen, Princess, I have two options here. One, I can let you go and be executed for abducting a member of the Royal Family, despite having not injured you at all. Can't get much worse than that. Second, I can use you to achieve the rescue of my sister and our escape from this castle, only to live in fear of the next time the Lindblum soldiers barge into our home and kill all...or worse. So the way I see it, whatever I do won't matter, 'cause when you get right down to it, I'm screwed anyway, just for being born."
"Why are you telling me this?" Garnet asked, eyes darting around the corner for shadows of soldiers coming to her aid, her ears straining for the sound of approaching footsteps. "None of that is my fault." Nothing. No sound other than the slow, echoing dripping of moisture from the ceiling somewhere, no sight other than the near darkness of the tunnel. She was truly alone.
Turning back to the Genome, she found him shaking his head ruefully at her excuse. "Not your fault, no. But chop off my tail and call me human if you're not partly to blame."
Garnet opened her mouth to state the contradiction in that sentence when a shout echoed down the corridor they had just come from. Her captor spun sharply to face the noise, and for the first time, a grimace of pain graced his tanned features; in the chaos of the events that had just transpired, it seemed both had forgotten about the bloody stain on the blonde's shirt, where a jagged sword wound lay beneath.
And in that moment, Garnet knew how she could escape.
As the noise in the hall grew greater, and the sound of footfalls hurrying their way resounded down the forked corridors, the girl whispered a soft apology, then ducked under Genome's arm and elbowed him in his injured side with as much force as she could muster. The blond gasped in pain and stumbled into the wall, holding his ribcage tightly as fresh blood blossomed on his shirt.
But Garnet had started to run as soon as she was clear of his arms, and did not look back. She ran faster than she had ever done in the past, her skirts hitched up around her knees in a most unlady-like fashion, and did not slow down until she had rounded a corner and smashed right into Steiner. Her mind was in a shocked haze as the knight gathered her into his arms and started back up the corridor, back to her parents and away from the dungeons.
They had only taken a few steps when Garnet looked back. Her once-captor was surrounded by a ring of soldiers, doubled the number of the first time he'd been surrounded, and were efficiently working on bringing him down. The last thing she saw before Steiner's gentle hand guided her up the passage was the gaze of two cerulean eyes full of hurt.
Even later, as she was clutched in the arms of her mother and father, Princess Garnet Til Alexandros could still those eyes. And that night, she could still hear his voice in her dreams.
~~~~~~~~
Okay, I'm sorry, but I found Garnet particularly hard to write! Gomen ne for the sucky job! ;_; It'll get better as the story goes on, because she'll stop acting like such a...well, a princess, lol ^_^ And as for Garnet's dad--I know he's dead in the game, but this is an AU, remember? And about his name? I made it up. It means something in Japanese, but I forgot what ^.^;;; Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon of my inspiration keeps, and we'll finally get to see what's been goin' on with our Silver Haired Bishie and the Rat Lady---*Freya glares at her*---er, I mean, the Dragon Knight ^____^
Oh, and for those of you wondering where Kacey-chan is, she's asleep. Me and my best friend stayed up until four writing some Inuyasha random-ness ^_^ Sometimes I forget it's her body that bears the fatigue, not mine....oh well ^^;;;
Disclaimer: I own nothing.....well, perhaps not nothing, but at the very least, I don't own Final Fantasy IX. *snaps fingers* Drat....
* Denotes Mental Speech (Just in case the italics don't work….I am trying this on a new computer, after all.)
III
Princess Garnet Til Alexandros awoke with a start from one of the strangest dreams she'd had in a long time. For a moment, she was slightly disoriented; having been dreaming of something quite different from her surroundings, her still half asleep mind found no correlation between the two. But as she slowly came to awareness she realized she was still in her very own room, seated in the very same chair she'd sat upon to "rest her tired feet," and dressed in the very same gown she'd stepped into (with difficulty, considering it involved a corset) that morning.
The noon sun shining bright overhead, bringing in warm rays of golden light through her opened balcony window testified that it she had unintentionally slept straight through luncheon, and consequently, a meeting with another suitor for her hand in marriage. Not that Garnet felt any particular sorrow for missing that happy occasion, but she was rather hungry, and it was to be sure that the suitor would be most displeased.
*Mother is going to strangle me*, the young princess thought miserably.
A insistent knock on her bedroom door moments after the notion had passed through her head made Garnet believe the Queen of Alexandria could read her mind sometimes. She stood, habitually smoothing the folds of her satin dress and smoothing her chocolate brown tresses with ivory gloved hands, calling out, "Come in!" and trying to keep her face from twisting into an expectant grimace.
However, the women who strode purposefully into her room was not her mother, but rather Garnet's most trusted friend, General Beatrix, commander of the Alexandrian elite soldiers. Though several years her senior, the General had been by Garnet's side since she was very small, always looking out for the welfare of the princess and playing surrogate mother when the Queen was attending matters pertaining to the kingdom. Beatrix's wisdom was unrivaled, and Garnet most often turned to her for answers to life's everyday problems when her mother was not to be bothered.
But Beatrix didn't seem to be in any mood to offer her advice this particular afternoon; in fact, she seemed downright aggravated. She planted herself in front of the young princess, hands on her slim hips, an exasperated look expressed on her face only by the tightness of her lips and the steely look in her remaining dark gray eye (the other covered up by cloth, no doubt disguising a battle scar from days long past).
Needless to say, Garnet shrank back a few steps. The General was known to become violent when upset, after all. Trying to sound innocent, she asked timidly, "Yes, Beatrix...?"
The older woman tossed a few thick, dark copper curls over her shoulder in agitation. "Don't you 'Yes Beatrix' me, Princess. Do you have any idea of the trouble you have put me in?" Without giving Garnet time to answer, she continued on, "What were you thinking? Why were you not in attendance for the meeting with Duke Bartholomew? I know you tire of these arrangements, you Highness, but it is for your own welfare! Your sixteenth birthday is arriving all too soon, and if you do not find a man before then, I will undoubtedly be blamed for it!"
This was true, Garnet knew--her mother liked to blame Beatrix for her daughter's lack of enthusiasm on the matter of wedding--and there wasn't a moment she escaped the constant nagging about the subject from the young General, but in this case, she hadn't intentionally skipped the meeting (although she had done it before, which was probably why Beatrix was fuming). "Calm down, Beatrix! I fell asleep, that's all! I shall speak to the Duke shortly and apologize for my absence! And I shall also see to it that mother does not blame you for this."
Beatrix crossed her arms, the stern expression fading to one of mirth. "I'd like to see you try, Princess. The Duke had left in a mad fit of rage and your mother is beside herself with anger--I'm certain I've already been added to her list of people to behead."
"So it wouldn't hurt if I put in a good word for you, then," Garnet replied vaguely, wandering over to the balcony and shutting the doors with a snap. Her gaze did not return to her friend, her sepia eyes instead looking out over the thatched roofs of Alexandria Square to the mist covered lands just outside her window with a hint of longing. All her years she'd looked out over those hills and valleys, wondering what it would be like to travel them, only to visit the unexplored realms in books and in her dreams.
A frown formed over her lips then, as her thoughts drifted back to her most recent dream. She hadn't been on land in that one, in fact, she didn't really know if she had actually been present in the dream at all, or merely a spectator. The details were slipping away from her the more she tried to recall them, and before long, all Garnet could remember was the turbulent gray ocean and two very frightened people clinging tightly to the mast of a small boat. The outcome of the dream and the identity of the two people were lost to the haze of her waking mind.
Beatrix's light touch on her should brought her out of her reverie. "Your Highness? Is something wrong? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a suitor soon..."
Garnet shook her head, a smile finding its way back to her face at her friend's misinterpreted concern. She could care less about marriage at the moment. "It's not that, Beatrix. I was just remembering a dream I had in passing, but it's not important. Would you please accompany me to the dining hall before I have to face my mother? I'm afraid I also slept through luncheon."
"Oh, that reminds me. I had another reason for gracing you with my presence other than to lecture you," Garnet chuckled softly at his, allowing Beatrix to usher her toward the door, "Your mother wished me to inform you that you shall be accompanying herself and the King to Lindblum this evening to visit the Regent and the Lady Hilda, so gather your things together."
Garnet stopped in the doorway, bringing Beatrix with her. "This evening? Why so sudden?"
"I was not told specifically, your Highness, but if I had to guess, I would say your uncle wishes to give you your birthday present." Beatrix said, winking. "Now, are we going to the dining hall or not?"
"Oh no!" Garnet exclaimed, rushing back inside her room. "I must get ready! Father hates it when I'm late!"
"You don't have to tell me that," Beatrix called after her with a laugh. "I'll be back soon to escort you to the airship, Princess. And do try not to fall asleep again; you'd most likely miss your ride and I shudder to think what Alexandria will be like with you running the country while your parents are away."
Though not the most monarchical behavior she could have displayed (but not that she particularly cared), Garnet threw a plush pillow at her friend's retreating back; it struck the door with a soft thwump and the hallways echoed with Beatrix's laughter.
~~~~~~*~~~~~~
That evening, upon boarding her mother and father's flag ship, the Red Rose, and with one and a half days tedious traveling all that there was to look forward to, Garnet severely regretted her choice to attend on the trip; thoughts of how she could have managed to avoid going ran endlessly through her head. She had always hated traveling by airship--it gave both her and her mother a frightfully bad case of nausea, which lead to an altogether unenjoyable ride, what with both of them acting rather crossly and her father's inability to be compassionate at such times.
Only the thoughts of seeing her dear Uncle Cid and Aunt Hilda sustained Garnet over the horrendous passage, and when the morning of their arrival dawned clear and bright, she could not have been more relieved. Dressed in their best, Garnet, her mother, and her father stepped onto the docking platform inside the heart of Lindblum Grand Castle itself into the "warm welcome" of a half dozen or so stone faced soldiers. They bowed accordingly, but with little to no expression, and the leader of the bunch greeted tonelessly, "Welcome to Lindblum, your Majesties."
Before the soldier could continue with his obviously well rehearsed welcoming, Garnet's father, King Kyougu, cleared his throat, effectively stopping the man. "Where is the Regent? He usually greets us personally." His stern features and chiseled mask of the utmost calm betraying nothing of his inner feelings, though his voice carried a note of frustration. The King was normally a patient man, but prolonged exposure to his ill tempered wife and daughter whilst under the influence of airship sickness would make anyone irritable.
Their chief escort bowed again. "The Regent wishes me to express to you his regret that he could not welcome you in person, your Majesties. There was trouble in the dungeons and milord's presence was necessary. But if you would please follow me, I will lead you to the Conference Room, and the Regent will join you shortly."
The King nodded his approval, saying nothing more in response, and the escort led them from the airship docks.
Garnet followed obediently behind her mother, gazing at awe at the splendor that was her Uncle's well managed castle. No matter how many times she visited, the dwarfing size of Lindblum in comparison to Alexandria never ceased to amaze her. The kingdom she was to rule was not by any means small, but the simple fact that Lindblum was so much more advanced in technology made the White City seem archaic and old fashioned, and, consequently, figuratively tiny. Everywhere she looked there were machines, machines that ran on steam power rather than Mist (the staple for fuel in Alexandria and a vast majority of the continent) that powered the electric lights of the castle and performed countless other duties made many times easier and much more efficient than any man could have done. It was truly a sight to behold.
It wasn't until the lack of noise from the their escorts' metal booted feet registered in her ears that Garnet realized that she had managed to wander off. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, and she was no where near the docking station--in fact, this was an area of the castle she'd never even seen before. Lindblum Palace was huge, vast even, and there had been a definite reason the Regent had sent an escort to watch over them: it was insanely easy to become lost in its richly decorated hallways and crimson carpeted passages, as Garnet was beginning to discover. Why the soldiers hadn't kept her under watch as they were no doubt supposed to was a mystery to Garnet, but then again, it had been clear that the men hadn't exactly been ecstatic about their arrival, and therefore probably couldn't care less about the small, timid girl trailing behind her parents.
*They couldn't care less if I'm stuck wandering the halls aimlessly for the rest of my days*, the young princess thought bitterly, then shook her head so vigorously her tiara jostled loose, a cascade of rich brown locks falling down her back. Not noticing this, Garnet scolded herself mentally for such thoughts. She was overreacting. Once her parents discovered she was missing, the entire Lindblum staff and servants would be out looking for her, and as long as she stayed put, she would certainly be found within minutes.
*After all, what harm could come to me within my Uncle's castle?* she chided herself, looking expectantly along the corridor ahead of her for the herd of frantic workers.
She was so intent on glaring down that dimly lit passageway (Garnet noticed with intrigue that unlike the rest of the castle, this passage was lit only by candle light) that she barely spared a glance behind her. And if to contradict her previous thought, something hard slammed into her full force from behind, sending her sprawling to the floor with a cry, her attacker landing squarely on top of her.
Disoriented, Garnet blinked harshly a few times to ease her spinning vision, then gave a sharp gasp as the person who had assaulted her lifted her roughly to her feet. Spinning, she found herself staring into a pair of fathomless cerulean eyes, full of panic and wide with adrenaline, but not without an apologetic hint. The boy standing before her not only had impossibly blue eyes, but an untidy mop of sun bleached blond hair and a desirable physique. Garnet would have considered him gorgeous, had it not been for two things. One, the blood covering his white cotton shirt and hands, and two, the tannish tail swishing furiously behind him.
Garnet shrieked upon seeing the latter, her feet unconsciously taking her a few faltering steps backward. Her face visibly paled, causing her widened brown eyes to seem doe-like in more ways than one. *A non-human! Here, in the castle! How...? How?* Garnet's brain refused to operate under the stress of coming face to face with one of the most dangerous and detested creatures on Gaia, a Genome, and even the simplest thoughts of escape fled from her, leaving her to stare, terrified, at the freak in front of her.
He took a step toward her; Garnet backed up hastily, only to find her back was now at a wall. Trapped. She was trapped...! "Please!" she whispered, unable to find volume to add to her voice, her vocal cords numb with fear. "Please don't hurt me!" It was then, in a moment of clarity, that Garnet realized that the Genome before her must be an escaped prisoner, and she was in far more danger than she could have realized. Her wanderings had brought her straight into the bowls of the Lindblum dungeons--the only area of the palace not lit by electricity. An involuntary shudder raced down her spine as tales of the infamous prisoners of the Regency unfolded in her mind; the young princess whimpered softly, wanting to look away from the thing before her but much too afraid to take her gaze from it.
The Genome, however, only continued to stare at her with perplexed cobalt eyes.
Then his head snapped around as the sound of running footsteps and loud shouting echoed up the corridors from where he had come.
Garnet nearly fainted in relief. That would be the guards, coming to her rescue! She would be saved at last.
Then the Genome did something Garnet's naive mind never expected. Reaching out with the speed of a striking viper, he snatched her away from the wall, holding her arms firmly by her sides with one arm while the other snaked around her unprotected neck, just as the soldiers came into view.
The young princess dared not to struggle, though terror was spiking ever higher through her veins. Was this how she was to die? In the arms of a ruthless killer?
*I didn't even tell my mother I loved her this morning.…*
In the seconds of silence that fell after she had been taken captive and just before the soldiers surrounded them, her attacker said calmly into her ear, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you. You're just gonna help me get outta here."
Though far from being reassured by this, Garnet remained motionless as the guards leveled their weapons at the blond. Someone pushed through the ring of white robed soldiers--a man grabbed in rusting plate metal whom Garnet recognized as one of the captains from Alexandria that had accompanied the Royal family. His presence there, while appreciated, was not entirely soothing. Steiner, as was the man's name, had been in her father's service for years, since before she was born, and was consequently rather attached to her, preferring very much to be her own personal body guard.
*And a poor one at that!* Garnet thought distractedly, feeling all too tightly the arm wrapped around her neck. She met the man's gaze with her own, not trusting her voice, nor her courage, to call out.
Upon recognizing the face of the chocolate haired woman held captive, Captain Adelbert Steiner gestured wildly at the Lindblum soldiers around him. "Lower you weapons!" He commanded, lowering his own broadsword (but not sheathing it), then forcibly pushed the sword tip of the nearest guard to the marble floor. "Lower your weapons this instant! That is the Princess of Alexandria, you fools!"
Garnet's heart leapt to her throat as the men reluctantly obeyed, and the smooth voice of the Genome swept across her ear. "Now that I have your attention, I have a request. Hear me out or her Highness won't live to see the year of her reign."
"How dare you threaten--!" Steiner began, face livid beneath the metal helm he wore.
"I don't like hurting ladies, knight," the Genome said loudly, covering up soldier's outraged protests, "but if you don't shut your mouth and listen to what I have to say, then I will have to resort to violence."
"I do believe you're being quite violent as it is!" Garnet protested indignantly, then quickly gasped, shutting her mouth hastily. Horrified that she had provoked her captor, she flinched, awaiting the asphyxiation of the arm wound around her windpipe. But when nothing happened, the Princess glanced a quick look at the Genome's face. To her surprise, he was in fact looking right at her, and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement, presumably at her adrenaline induced comment. Garnet hardly found the situation funny--she was mortified that such a remark had escaped her mouth in the first place--but at least the blond hadn't been offended. So far, he was holding to his word about not harming her. For now. And although not any less terrified, Garnet found herself (reluctantly) curious about her strange captor. She had always heard that Genomes would attack anyone upon sighting, but yet the blond was acting almost....polite. Well, aside from the hostage situation, of course.
Turning back to the guards, the Genome fixed Steiner with an look of impatience. "Now, will you hear what I have to say?"
There was a moment of silence before the rusty armored knight spat in response, "Speak your peace, devil child, before I cut our your tongue."
"Thank you very much," the tailed boy quipped, bobbing a blond head in mockery of a bow. "As I was saying, I have a request. Actually, a trade if you will. I'll release this beautiful girl here if you allow me and my sister passage out of your hospitable dungeon."
"Impossible!" Roared Steiner, (loudly) waving an iron clad fist. "No prisoner has even been released!"
The Genome shrugged. "Well then, I hope you have a lovely time trying to explain her Highness's untimely death to her parents."
As this conversation was going on around her, Garnet's thoughts were in a whirl. Confusion, panic, anger....all these emotions were wrapped so tightly around her brain it felt as if it were going to explode. The words from both her would-be rescuers and captor slowly penetrated that haze one thought at a time.
*Did he just call me beautiful?
Wait a minute....he's going to kill me! He said he wouldn't!
....Why did I trust the word of a Genome? Of course he's going to kill me!*
Panic drove her to speak at that last train of thought. "Steiner, please! Just do as he says!" Eyes watering, she added silently, *I don't want to die....!*
Hesitancy was evident on the captain's face; around him, the soldiers shifted anxiously, unsure of what to do and wondering what their orders were to be next. They all snapped to attention, however, when Steiner's commands boomed out. "You there!" He pointed at a cluster of Lindblum guards, "Go and inform the Regent and his guests about what has transpired here. Now!" The aforementioned soldiers scrambled off to do so; Steiner barked out orders to the rest of the men, "Everyone else....let them go....for now." Saluting hesitantly, the ring of guardsmen parted, allowing the Genome passage back to the direction of the dungeons.
"Thanks very much," said the Genome, smiling suavely--the gesture was not returned as he smoothly made his way our of the circle, dragging Garnet with him.
"I swear on my honor as a knight, you worthless trash," Steiner growled as the blond passed by him, "that when I get my hands on you I'll--"
Again, he was cut off by the smooth talking criminal. "I'll be long gone in just a few minutes, captain. Your revenge will just have to wait." A growl was all he got in response.
Garnet looked desperately backward as she was pulled away by her captor; she watched the line of soldiers vanish around the corner, feeling cold fear creep higher up her throat when the last man's face had gone. She was now on her own. Help was coming, she knew, but depending on when it came, it could be of little to use to her. If she wanted to live, she would have to escape on her own. "Please," she said, attempting to pour as much confidence into her tremulous voice as was possible for the situation; her sporadic adrenaline rush had faded, leaving her visibly shaken again. "Please, just let me go. You're only making this worse for yourself---"
"And how could that be, Highness?" He cut her off, cobalt eyes flashing with sudden ire. "Pray, tell me how I could do anything to make this situation worse?" Stopping at a fork in the path, he pushed her into a shadowy corner and braced his arms against the stone wall on either side of her, preventing an easy escape. Without giving her a chance to reply, the Genome went on; there was no smile on his face now, no facade of calm as he said, "Listen, Princess, I have two options here. One, I can let you go and be executed for abducting a member of the Royal Family, despite having not injured you at all. Can't get much worse than that. Second, I can use you to achieve the rescue of my sister and our escape from this castle, only to live in fear of the next time the Lindblum soldiers barge into our home and kill all...or worse. So the way I see it, whatever I do won't matter, 'cause when you get right down to it, I'm screwed anyway, just for being born."
"Why are you telling me this?" Garnet asked, eyes darting around the corner for shadows of soldiers coming to her aid, her ears straining for the sound of approaching footsteps. "None of that is my fault." Nothing. No sound other than the slow, echoing dripping of moisture from the ceiling somewhere, no sight other than the near darkness of the tunnel. She was truly alone.
Turning back to the Genome, she found him shaking his head ruefully at her excuse. "Not your fault, no. But chop off my tail and call me human if you're not partly to blame."
Garnet opened her mouth to state the contradiction in that sentence when a shout echoed down the corridor they had just come from. Her captor spun sharply to face the noise, and for the first time, a grimace of pain graced his tanned features; in the chaos of the events that had just transpired, it seemed both had forgotten about the bloody stain on the blonde's shirt, where a jagged sword wound lay beneath.
And in that moment, Garnet knew how she could escape.
As the noise in the hall grew greater, and the sound of footfalls hurrying their way resounded down the forked corridors, the girl whispered a soft apology, then ducked under Genome's arm and elbowed him in his injured side with as much force as she could muster. The blond gasped in pain and stumbled into the wall, holding his ribcage tightly as fresh blood blossomed on his shirt.
But Garnet had started to run as soon as she was clear of his arms, and did not look back. She ran faster than she had ever done in the past, her skirts hitched up around her knees in a most unlady-like fashion, and did not slow down until she had rounded a corner and smashed right into Steiner. Her mind was in a shocked haze as the knight gathered her into his arms and started back up the corridor, back to her parents and away from the dungeons.
They had only taken a few steps when Garnet looked back. Her once-captor was surrounded by a ring of soldiers, doubled the number of the first time he'd been surrounded, and were efficiently working on bringing him down. The last thing she saw before Steiner's gentle hand guided her up the passage was the gaze of two cerulean eyes full of hurt.
Even later, as she was clutched in the arms of her mother and father, Princess Garnet Til Alexandros could still those eyes. And that night, she could still hear his voice in her dreams.
~~~~~~~~
Okay, I'm sorry, but I found Garnet particularly hard to write! Gomen ne for the sucky job! ;_; It'll get better as the story goes on, because she'll stop acting like such a...well, a princess, lol ^_^ And as for Garnet's dad--I know he's dead in the game, but this is an AU, remember? And about his name? I made it up. It means something in Japanese, but I forgot what ^.^;;; Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon of my inspiration keeps, and we'll finally get to see what's been goin' on with our Silver Haired Bishie and the Rat Lady---*Freya glares at her*---er, I mean, the Dragon Knight ^____^
Oh, and for those of you wondering where Kacey-chan is, she's asleep. Me and my best friend stayed up until four writing some Inuyasha random-ness ^_^ Sometimes I forget it's her body that bears the fatigue, not mine....oh well ^^;;;