Author's Note: Greetings everyone! Sorry, that I've been a little behind with updating, but I'd say that I'm still faster than most. Anyway, this is the point where the plot really kicks in. I should also point out that this chapter will be one of my most explicit, in terms of dialogue. I would like to thank everyone that's stayed with the story so far, and I ask everyone to please continue to read and review!

But a shot in the dark,
one step away from you.
A shot in the dark,
not a thing you can do—

"Shot in the Dark"—Ozzy Osbourne

A Time of Peace. A Time of War

Chapter VI

The last three months for Zidane Tribal were not particularly joyful. Zidane and Treno's nobles went gone back and forth over the issue of taxes. Zidane prayed to the nobles to pay their fair share, and informed them of the consequences. The consequences were that one day the lower-class citizens would storm their homes. But the nobles scoffed at Zidane's warning. They considered it to be an idle threat. Plus, despite the fact that Zidane was Garnet's fiancé; he did not have any political authority. And while that was true, Garnet quickly put a stop to that. She ordered that the nobles who would not pay more of the tax money were to be arrested.

Some of the nobles surrendered, and paid Garnet what she had requested. Others, however, resisted—and found themselves in an Alexandrian prison. Because the captured nobles hid their money, Garnet made the decision to confiscate and sell their property. Unfortunately for the queen, the nobles who had paid Garnet did not have the resources to purchase other property; and nobody from Lindblum had any interest either. The end result was the tension between rich and poor in Alexandria—and the Mist Continent—had never been higher.

Yet, at the same time, Zidane's life improved. Today was his wedding day. The wedding was to be celebrated in Alexandria Castle in an untraditional manner. All the members of Tantalus served as Zidane's best men. Garnet was escorted to the altar by Captain Steiner and Regent Cid. Eiko acted as the ring bearer.

After the ceremony, Zidane and Garnet stood on the Castle balcony. Many of Alexandria's subjects had gathered, despite their differences to the crown. Both Zidane and Garnet smiled, and waved to the crowd. But their smiles quickly ended when a shot rang out.

Zidane covered Garnet, while Steiner and Beatrix acted as shields around them. As the soldiers from Alexandria and Lindblum attempted to find the shooter, Steiner and Beatrix rushed Zidane and Garnet inside.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," Steiner said—almost to the point of tears—while he knelt before his queen. "I should've had better security."

"It's my fault as well, Your Majesty," added Beatrix, as she too knelt before the queen. "I should've placed more soldiers around the balcony."

Garnet nodded. "None of this is your fault. We had plenty of soldiers from both Alexandria and Lindblum. So please, don't worry."

"Not our fault?" replied Steiner and Beatrix.

"Could you please leave us?"

Steiner and Beatrix nodded. And at the same time replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

With Steiner and Beatrix gone, Garnet turned to Zidane. "They really hate me, don't they?"

"Oh god, I hate answering questions like this!"

"Zidane?"

"It's not you who they hate. It's the person who they think you to be…They simply don't know my Dagger."

"Well, who do they think I am?"

"Let's not worry about that right now, Dagger…"

"No, I have to worry about it! Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life…And now look at it."

"Not just you, Dagger, but me as well…And some individual has turned this day into a lousy day…But I look at it like this. I could bitch and complain about an event that I can't go back and fix…Or I can try to move on…I'm going to choose the latter, and make this day the happiest day of my life."

Garnet hugged Zidane, and kissed him. "Thank you, Your Highness. You're so sweet."

Zidane smiled. "Hey now, don't start addressing me by those titles!"

Garnet returned the smile. "I know, and I thank you for making me feel better…But I'd still like to know what happened today."

"Your Majesty?" Steiner replied from the other side of the door.

"Yes, Steiner?"

"We've captured the shooter. He's being held in the dungeon."

"Thank you, Steiner."

"Steiner?" responded Zidane.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Damn it, don't call me that! Just 'Zidane' will do."

"Sorry about that, Zidane."

"Don't worry about it. Look, I'd like to confront this shooter. Would you take me to him or her?"

"It's a 'he,' and yes, I'll take you to him."

"Zidane?" replied Garnet.

"I want to find the answers to your questions, Dagger."

Garnet nodded. "I'm coming with you."

Alexandria's dungeon was a cold and clammy place. "Thank god, I never ended up here during my days with Tantalus."

"There's the man," Steiner said, while he pointed to a man in shackles. The man was moderately tall, with brown hair and eyes. He appeared to be in his middle twenties.

When the man saw the queen and her husband he flashed a wicked grin. "Oh, look, if it isn't the oppressor and her husband!"

"Silence naïve!" shouted Steiner.

Zidane raised a hand, a gesture that told Steiner to be silent. Then Zidane grabbed a chair, and placed it before the man. But before Zidane sat down, he kicked the man in the stomach. "That's for ruining my wedding, and trying to take away the woman that I love!"

The man gasped under the blow, but when he was able to regain his composure his grin returned. "The woman…the woman you love…is ruining…our lives…We're starving…going under…Not that you'd…ever understand that."

"I wasn't born rich."

"Wait!" replied Garnet. "How am I hurting you?"

The man sneered. "You bitch!"

But the fist of Zidane silenced him. "Don't you ever talk to my wife like that!"

"You're lucky that I don't unsheathe this sword and gut you!" added Steiner.

"Zidane! Steiner!" responded Garnet. "I want to hear what this man has to say…All of it! I want to hear every single word."

Zidane and Steiner nodded.

"What've I done to you?" asked Garnet.

"You're taxing us into extinction! That's what you're doing, you fucking bitch!"

Zidane's fists shook. So did Steiner's. The two men would have loved to have beaten this prisoner to a bloody pulp. But did not, out of respect to Garnet.

"I know the taxes're unpopular, and I don't like them anymore than you do; but I simply didn't have a choice. Please try to understand that."

"And please try to understand that me and my family're starving in Treno! Not that you'd understand that. You probably eat three course meals everyday!"

"He's right. I don't know what it's like to starve. Even when I was traveling with Zidane and the others we ate regularly…I admit that you're right. I do eat three meals everyday. And no, I don't know what it's like to starve."

"Exactly! Typical fucking nobility…Although, at least you admit that you don't know what it's like to starve…But it really doesn't matter, does it?"

"Huh?"

"The revolution's coming."

"Revolution?"

"Yes, revolution."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the poor and working man's savior's coming. Soon he'll lead us to paradise, and your sorry asses'll be the ones who have to live in the northern slums."

"And just who's your savior?"

The man chuckled. "You really're a fool, aren't you? Do you think I'm going to give the man's name away? I'll take his name to the grave with me, because I know you'll have me executed. But that's okay, I don't fear death. Nevertheless, you'll know the man's name soon enough."

"Perhaps if you give me his name, I'll spare your life."

The man continued to smile. "That's all right. I'll just be the sacrificial lamb."

After that comment, Garnet left him. And so did Zidane and Steiner.

Outside the dungeon, Zidane, Garnet, and Steiner discussed what they had learned.

"So what do you think?" Garnet asked.

"I think he's lucky you told me to back off," replied Zidane. "Otherwise I would've beaten his ass a lot more!"

"And I would've helped him," added Steiner. "Now then, should I arrange a date for the execution?"

Garnet shook her head. "No."

"What!" exclaimed Steiner.

"As much as I wanted to beat his ass," added Zidane, "I think an execution's a bad idea."

Steiner turned to Zidane. "Explain?"

"I don't know if Dagger has the same idea as me, but if she executes that man it'll add even more fuel to the fire that Dagger's a tyrant. The classes're sharply divided…"

"So what? He tried to kill both of you…On your wedding day no less!"

"Thank god, Steiner's not running the country," replied Garnet. "Steiner?"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Have you ever starved before?"

"…I've had to eat less when I was on the field of battle…"

"No, I mean completely starve. That is, to go without food for days."

"…I guess not."

Garnet nodded. "Thank you…Zidane was on the right track with what he was saying. To execute a man who's starving would make me out to be a tyrant…Besides, if you were starving you'd probably act irrational too."

"…I suppose that's possible."

"Certainly it's possible and probably true," replied Zidane. "What concerns me now is who's this 'great savior' that man talked about?"

"I don't know," responded Garnet.

"Neither do I, but I know how we can find out."

"And how's that?" asked Steiner.

"The man said he was from Treno. I'll ask some of my brothers from Tantalus to investigate for me."