Author's Note: Just takin' a break from Resident Evil

Summary: Somthing horrid comes to Garnet's attention and Beatrix is forced to recall a time long since past

Rating: Kplus

The Affair

Chapter One: At First Glance

By: Mazzie May

Garnet's eyes widened as she flipped another page of the book she held close. Beatrix raised her brow, but returned to shifting through drawers. Steiner continued to watch her face, but remained in front of the door, sword-in-sheath held out in front of him, his hands on the hilt.

They were in one of the older towers, way off from the main castle halls, a place few visited. Even the maids and cleaning servants hadn't touched the room in years. It had obviously once been a guest room for nobles, but far distance of a walk it was to the central grounds probably caused its lack of use.

They only reason they were there to begin with was, whilst cleaning out the Queen's Chamber, they found a note, written by the King himself, saying where he placed his will. The Queen had always claimed that he never wrote one, his death so sudden. All knew it was lies, but kept it to themselves.

And a marvelous place to hide a will, too! It was a lovely room. The curtains and canopy were a light blue colour. The sheets and pillows and carpet and wall drapes were white. Well, they were white, but now had a bit of a grayer-yellowy tone from all the time spent unwashed. What Garnet had loved the most about it was how small it was. There was a tiny set of stairs leading up a large bed, but that was it. Very appealing. To her, at least.

Beatrix had led the way. Never even asked for the directions after Steiner told her that it was "the" room. She'd made this trek many times over years before, but after the King's death she hadn't imagined that she'd return here.

Oh, if the walls could speak! The scandalous stories they could tell, rumors they could confirm, memories they could recall, and Beatrix was more than thankful that the old stone walls and their bricks would never make mouths.

"Oh...!" Beatrix turned around to face her newly crowned queen and Steiner moved a bit forward from the stairs. Garnet was looking a mixture of horrified and disbelieved. She reread the page once, twice, three times before looking up at Beatrix with something near anger in her eyes.

Her single eye widened as realization crashed upon her. Steiner tensed behind her.

Oh, Ramah, no! Garnet had found the King's journal. The one he wrote about her in, and she knew that because he'd told her he wrote about her. Ye Gods…! I thought that thing had gotten destroyed.

Garnet closed the book slowly, never removing her eyes from her mother's former personal guard. "I want to know."

"Highness, I –" Steiner began, but Beatrix waved him off. He sighed irritably and turned away, glaring angrily up at wall tapestry with the royal insignia on it. Beatrix leaned up against the side of one of the four bedposts.

"What is it you want to know?"

"Everything" Garnet snapped, adjusting her position on the floor to look at someone she thought she knew. "I want to know everything."

Beatrix took a small breath and let it out slowly. "Let's start with what you know-"

"You had an affair with my father!"

Beatrix winced as Steiner scoffed from below. She flipped her curls behind her shoulder. "Yes… King Jarius and I shared a relationship."

"A relationship" Garnet boomed, sitting up fully on her knees, the book sliding from her lap. "A relationship? You, you… unpainted whore! You devious she-devil!" Beatrix tossed her again, Steiner simply grimaced. "And to think," Garnet bellowed on, "that my father be so weak and be tempted so! What a scoundrel, a shark, a –"

The slap that cut Queen Garnet til Alexandrious the XXIII off echoed in the small chamber. Beatrix's hand was still in the air, she was breathing slightly heavily, speaking, no, seething through her teeth. "Say about me what ever you wish, Highness. But I will not hear an ill word of King Jarius." Garnet held her reddened check, slack jawed in shock. Steiner looked uncomfortable with letting his dear Queen be physically harmed, even if she was out of line. But, she had been badmouthing his King…

Garnet closed her mouth and dropped her hand, breathing heavily through her nose, nostrils flaring with each intake. "Fine," she hissed. "Justify all of this." She gestured to the book.

Beatrix dropped her hand and retreated back to the bedpost. "It wasn't just a collection of one-night-stands. There were real emotions there, that took years to build." She stared near wistfully out the out the open window. The breeze darted in blowing her hair back-

-out of her face allowing her a clear view of the castle courtyard, as she drifted across the large clean moat. It hadn't been her first trip to Castle Alexandria, but this one was special. She'd be staying. The King had asked for her specifically to join his private royal guard. She was an outstanding soldier; she'd be a fine addition. The boat docked and she stepped out and up onto the bleached stone steps and breathed in the sweet air that was thick with the scent of the flora and fauna that consumed the base of the castle. It was a glorious place.

One of her soon to be comrades lead her straight up to the castle the doors, made of the deepest black marble, littered with pearl and opal. That was when she first saw him in person. He was shaking the hand of the governor before he left. Her eyes widened as fire spread across her face. He stood a tall, sturdy man that didn't seem small or weighed down by all of the royal robes that in cased his body. A bit along in his years, his hair had completely lost all the blonde it once had, replaced by a strong white, not gray or silver and it was held in place by a tight, neat fish braid all the way to his mid back. His eyebrows were articulate and expressive, the small mustache connecting to a thin goatee equally white and not at all out of place on his angular chin.

But what caught the air in her lungs were his bold, defiant, hazel eyes. Though surrounded by age, you could see his spirit and soul, all of his passion. And when he turned them towards her, Beatrix's heart stopped.

She sighed a little, remembering the proud man that changed her life. Garnet looked mildly annoyed. "So, you loved him then?" Beatrix gave a small laugh.

"Certainly not! It was a small girl's crush created at first glance. But after that moment, I was very determined to become an outstanding knight so as not to misplace his faith."

Author's Note: So, first chapter done. This is only going to be three to five chapters, depends on how I want to group all of this. I figured I should take a small break Resident Evil before I burn myself out. I picked this because I was replaying FFIX and I noticed that in the flashback where the King died, Beatrix was acting just as devistated as Garnet. Thought it was weird.. Also, I have no idea what the King's name is. If you let me know, I can change it.

R&R, please.