Author's Note: Welcome to Chapter two I'm glad you guys like the first one so much and I'm also sorry for the delay. I hope you guys like the second installment of One For The Money (cue dramatic music)

One For the Money

Chapter 2

Zidane let out a sneeze, knocking some of the carefully placed fringe out of place. He looked at his coat in annoyance, muttering some curses at it, and turned his head instead to the stage.

For a brief second he caught a glimpse of someone that looked strikingly familiar. Unfortunately they hurried off the stage before he could get a good look. He sat back in his chair and brainstormed who on Gaia he saw just then.

Willmott, The tiny voice in his head whispered to him.

Zidane thought on this but shook his head. "They went to jail... couldn't have been them."

Garnet turned around. "What was that, love?"

Zidane gave her a smile and shook his head. "Just thought I saw someone I knew."

The Auctioneer stepped out onto the stage and motioned for every one to be quiet. As soon as silence dominated the room the Auctioneer began, "I would like to thank all of you lovely ladies and gentlemen for coming tonight. We have some exquisite item's up for bid. So let me stop my chatting and start, eh?

"First Item for bid is a lovely pure golden bauble it..." The words quickly faded into the back of Zidane's mind. The face he had seen earlier stuck to his consciousness, and without his control it took him to an old memory he hadn't revisited in some time.

He remembered how he and Tantulas had taken that trip to Treno on Ruby's birthday to let her have some fun shopping. While they were there they had planned on buying Ruby their gift with the money they had saved.

Of course when the often called "Kings" stole it from them they were going to get it back. In doing so they had exposed the Kings underground crime circle for smuggling stolen goods through out the mist continent.

It was a well known fact that Tantalus had stolen time and again, but the difference was that Tantulas had only stolen things they needed or couldn't get by any other means. They also made sure they didn't leave anyone in their way with more than a broken limb or a bloody nose.

The Kings were cold-blooded killers.

They didn't care who or how many they had to go through to get what their grubbily, gem-encrusted fingers desired.

The knowledge of how many men, women, and children the Kings had murdered disgusted Zidane to his core, and the thought of the chance of that being James Willmott he had just seen walking around in public sickened him even more.

So that tore it. He had to find out. Zidane looked around at the competitive auction going on around him, that, he had totally zoned out on. They seemed to have been atleast a quarter into it. He glanced at Garnet who was fighting for a rather antique looking item against a nobleman in the row beside her. After she had won it he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Dag? Dag honey?" He whispered.

Garnet turned and smiled at him happily. "Hmm?"

"I saw something suspicious. I wanna go check it out."

Garnet raised an eyebrow, and then sighed. "Can it wait until after the Auction?"

Zidane mentally slapped himself for his insincerity. His beloved had been going through so much stress lately, she needed this night badly to relax and to be with him more than anything else. It would be criminal to take it away from her. Even more criminal than letting Willmott run around free. He glance once more to the stage and nodded. "Yeah, it can wait."

Meanwhile backstage, James Willmott had plans of his own. After he had spotted the nobly-clothed thespian thief he, without breaking a stride, ran to the back offices of the Auction house.

Bursting through the doors he startled awake one of his partners and fellow "King" Francis Tagore, who was sleeping over paperwork. Tagore quickly composed himself with a yawn and a "What's all this, then, James?"

"Where are Hazlitt and Bergson? This is urgent!" Willmott was now at Tagore's desk nearly shouting. "Urgent!"

"I believe in the inventory. What's so urgent?" Tagore placed his monicle over his right eye and glanced questionably to Willmott.

We have problems! Very. Large. Problems!"

XxX

It wasn't long before all four of the Kings where standing in Tagore's office. James got them in there disgruntled or not. Hazlitt spoke first, "Alright James, what is all the ruckus?"

Willmott took a deep breath and began, "Do you remember the brats in that Tantulus troupe?"

Each of them responded with few moments of violent colorful language and a how-could-I-not look in their eyes. After he was sure they were finished he continued, "The blonde one with the tail is here! In the Auction house this very moment!"

This was met with more violent language and more than one promise of revenge. Willmott calmed them down, now prepared to share with them the worst of news. "Peace, peace! That's not the worst of it...he's dressed as a Noble and is in the company of Queen Garnet!"

Bergson jumped to his feet and shouted, "ABSURDITY! BLASPHEMOUS ABSURDITY! THE QUEEN WOULD NEVER!"

Tagore caught him and forcefully sat him back down into his chair. Willmott then finished by saying, "If you do not believe me look into the crowd. You will see them then."

Bergson shrugged off Tagore and stormed out of the office. Hazlitt got up and followed him out. Tagore left after Willmott to lock up.

Each of them assembled behind on of the curtains. Bergson looked through the curtain positive that James was off his rocker. He easily spotted the tailed twit, dressed disgracefully as a noble, sitting in the third row next to who was undisputedly the Queen of Alexandria. Shock flooded through him but he quickly composed himself by telling his mind that he could merely be sitting by her.

Then he watched Queen Garnet and the Tantulus rogue wrap their arms around each other in a warm embrace.

Henry Bergson snapped the curtain shut and fumed, muttering several death-curses under his breath. Hazlitt and Tagore looked through the curtain in curious horror and James stood crossing is arms. "Now, do you believe me?"

George Hazlitt nodded with the others and said, "It is an unbelievable atrocity...but yes."

James smiled with approval and said malevolently, "Now, there is the matter of revenge."