-- Final Fantasy IX : Have and Have Not -- Chapter Eight : The Alexandrian Guard --

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I'm turning out the chapters now!
Unfortunately, in the near future, I doubt the chapters will come so fast. Tomorrow (February 6th, 2006), I'll be starting my new high school semester, which includesmy Math, English, and French courses.As such, I have the feeling that much of my spare time is going to be spent writing pointless essays instead ofFan Fiction.As well, I'm going to be taking up a sport, in some lame attempt to get myself more fit. (Hooray ...)
Read and Review, as alwaysplease! And Enjoy!

---

He wasn't there. Not anymore.

Standing there, her hair still wet, wearing only the bath robe that she had found in his bathroom, she surveyed the rest of the appartment. All of the doors were open -- even the one to the almost full-wall cabinet in the kitchenette -- and Kuja was no where to be found.

But ... but he just had to be there! Why would he leave her alone in his apartment! Then again, why would he take her to his apartment in the first place? Her head hurt, and she sank into a chair at the polished wooden table.

Why in the name of the Queen would anyone leave an established thief alone in their apartment? Okay, well, maybe she wasn't an established thief, but she'd gotten pretty handy at swiping stuff over the years. And she had a very impressive assortment of pockets in her clothes ... wherever they had gotten to.

What did he think he was doing? Not only was she alone in his apartment, she was practically naked, alone in his apartment!

Oh. Well. When she put it that way ...

Was that what he was planning! Silently, she fumed. Did he drag her all the way from Treno with only sex on his mind! The pickpocket felt her hands, which had been stagnant on her lap, clench into fists. What a ... what a ... what a typical guy!

Was she ever going to meet someone who wasn't going to look at her, see an easy way out, and go for it! That's all she ever got! They either saw her as rich or, more recently, a venerable street girl, easy to manipulate. Or, at least, so it seemed.

But there was that one guy ...

The pickpocket shook her head and heaved a heartfelt sigh. Who was she kidding? 'That Guy' was a pickpocket who wouldn't stop stealing what was rightfully ... well, soon-to-be-her wallets. Besides, it was all his fault she was in this mess in the first place! Stupid bastard ... why couldn't he just get lost like she'd advised him at their first meeting!

The door opened. The pickpocket jumped to her feet.

"Hmph. So there was a girl under all that grime."

Kuja was back, with what she dearly hoped were her clothes folded over his arm.

"You might," he said, as he strode past her, "want to tighten your robe."

She scowled at him, noticing the smirk turning up the corners of his mouth, while she hugged the too-big silken robe tighter to her chest. How come she just couldn't take her eyes off him? What kind of hypnotic powers did he have about him that made her chest tighter, her limbs shake, and cause her heart jump to her throat?

"I have here an ample replacement for those rags you were running about in." There was no argument from her -- she had been in dire need of a replacement of clothes. "And, starting tomorrow, you'll report to the Captain of the Guard."

She blinked. "For what?"

"For the training," he told her patiently, turning to look at her after laying her replacement clothes on the table, "required before one joins the Alexandrian Royal Guard."

It took the pickpocket a minute to pick her jaw up off of the floor. Finally, she managed to force out intelligently, "What?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "If you're going to stay here, you may as well make yourself useful."

She stared at him in silence, unable to force any of the questions circling her head through her numb lips. He stared back at her, coolly studying the look of shock on her face. After an additional moment, where his eyes swept her once more, he simply stated, "You should dress," and then turned to leave.

"The Alexandrian Guard!" she stammered. "But ... but ... they ..."

Kuja turned to survey her, one eyebrow coyly raised. "Not good enough for you, Princess?"

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she flushed angrily. "No, I ... I mean ... have you seen what they wear?" As Kuja chuckled, she felt her face heat up, more from embarrassment now than anger. "I mean, it's a stupid choice for a guard force ... their legs are completely open to attack ..." She trailed off and, under Kuja's scrutinizing gaze, left once again for the bathroom, glad for the privacy that the thick door afforded her.

There was just something about his gaze that always made her sweat, made her fingers tremble, and made her heart leap. It happened every time, without fail. It was something that the Duke Hardrege had never managed to pull off ... and probably the main reason she had left her home. One of her worst nightmares had always been to stuck in a life without promise ... and now she realised she had feared not being able to love just as much.

She sank down onto the floor, resting her hot forehead in the palm of her hand. She had gotten herself into this mess ... and now, she feared there might not be a way out.

---

She was left alone with the Duke for what felt like an eternity. Not even hid servants had the audacity to interrupt. Unfortunately.

Most of their time was spent out in the Garden. Which, at least, gave Sophia plenty to focus on while she ignored the Duke.

She was pretty sure that he had spent most of the time talking about ... well, something other than the expensive plants she was looking at. She was pretty sure he cared for nothing except the cost of them. He certainly didn't walk around in that expensive garb and water them ...

"Sophia?"

She quickly disguised the fact that she'd been lost in her own thoughts by stroking the ivory coloured petals of the nearest flower and smiling to herself. "This is a beautiful plant," she said.

"Pales in comparison to you."

Sophia, thankful that she was turned away from him, rolled her eyes skywards. This guy was just insufferable! Secretly, she prayed that her parents were sending the carriage back for her just then.

"I hope you'll forgive me if I am frank, Sophia ... but I must speak my mind. I feel as though you are ... attempting to push me away."

"With all due respect ... this is all happening a little fast. I mean --" she cut off as she felt his hand on her shoulder, and he spun her around, so that they were face to face. And then their lips were together.

---

Sophia, from her position on the bathroom floor, shuddered with the mere memory. The duke had always disgusted her ... but that had been the final straw.

When she'd left, not too long after, she'd been escorted right away to her room, where she'd been stripped of her dress by the maids and ushered into a hot bath. Had she not objected, she would have, undoubtedly, followed her and scrubbed her down themselves. She was given a half hour, and told that, if she wasn't in her room by then, they'd break down the door and drag her out of the tub.

She'd packed up some meager belongings and left long before that.

And she hadn't been back since.

Oh, sure, there had been a search at first. It had lasted a few days, and then, she assumed, her parents had decided that she was more trouble than she had been worth anyways, and had gone back to their quiet, spoiled lifestyle.

But Sophia didn't miss it. She'd taken to the street, learned to fend for herself ... and now she was here. Trapped in what she had now started to see was nothing more than a joke for Kuja's own amusement.

How had she ever fallen in love with him!

She paused in the act of pulling the shirt Kuja had left over her head. Had ... she just admitted that? Was she ... really in love with Kuja?

That just wasn't possible! Was it ...? No, no it wasn't. It couldn't be! She'd known him for a few hours! And he'd been nothing but short with her! Besides, here he was, so ready to get rid of her, by sending her off to the Alexandrian Guard!

Unless ... he really thought that she was cut out for combat. She'd protected herself on the street for years ... Maybe she really was ready to protect other people ... maybe even people as important as the Queen. Did he really see so much potential in her? The thought made her smile as she straightened the plain, white shirt Kuja had provided across her stomach. Those years out on the street had made her lean, and the shirt hugged her petite form wonderfully. So did the black pants that he'd brought ... she couldn't help but wonder if he'd taken a peek at her when he'd come to take her old clothes ...

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Her mother had always despised the fact that it was so painfully straight. Now, as she studied herself in the mirror, she smiled. The way her hair framed her elfin features, falling down to her shoulders ... did she really look as boyish as her mother had always said? More importantly ... did Kuja think she was too boyish?

No! Damnit! She had to stop thinking like that! It wasn't love! She wouldn't let it be love! She was independent, and she was planning to stay that way! And that was final!

Still, she couldn't help but take an extra moment and straighten her shirt and the front of her pants before she left the safety of the bathroom.

---

Her reception was ... less than warm.

Oh, sure, Captain of the Guard had been nice enough. Kuja had whispered to her as they had rode the elevator up that she was not to question him about his post -- apparently, he was just filling in, as the real Captain of the Guard was off chasing the Princess through who knows where. And, since she had brought up nothing to remind him of his only temporary status, he had seemed all-too-ready to accept her into the ranks of Alexandrian Guard.

The current members of the guard however, seemed to have far less hospitality than their captain.

Apparently, word had gotten out of her stay the night before in Kuja appartment -- although she had only occupied a very drafty spot on the couch -- and that seemed to win her a lot of enemies, for reasons she couldn't quite fathom. Unless, of course, it was because they all secretly wanted Kuja. What right-thinking woman wouldn't? Of course, that would make them jealous ... and of her! Now, as she lay on her bunk, thinking back on the events of the morning, the thought was enough to make her laugh.

After meeting the captain of the guard, she'd said a quick goodbye to Kuja (who, she'd noticed, had been wearing that same amused expression that he had worn when they'd first met), and then followed the Captain around in a brief tour of what he called the "darker side" of the Alexandrian Castle. Indeed, he was right -- in the many servants passages and disused rooms the lighting was either dim or virtually non-existent. And there was dust everywhere. Several times her sneezes drowned out what the captain was trying to say, and she had to ask him to repeat himself. She learned very quickly that this was something he didn't enjoy doing too much.

After trekking down countless passages -- she certainly hoped she hadn't been expected to memorize the passages, where they led, and which was the fastest to get to a certain sector of the castle (or, for that matter, where the different Sectors actually were) -- the Captain took her to a more dimly-lit passage in one of the castle wings. Once there, he led her down the hall to the furthest, saddest looking door, and rapped smartly on it.

The door had swung open, and a girl who couldn't be much older than her, with dark brown hair and similar dark eyes blinked at them. "Captain," she said, with a nod just short bow. Sophia's eyes swept her. She was certainly fit -- her rather skimpy clothes showed off her tanned figure quite well. Her shining hair, curling gently to midway down her back, as well as what appeared to be freshly applied eyeliner and mascara spoke of a few hours' free time. Sophia couldn't help but wonder if this was someone who cared far more for her looks than her duties.

The Captain smiled. "Eve. I have a new recruit for your squad." Sophia didn't miss the distaste clearly displayed across Eve's face. "I'm going to need you to show Sophia the ropes, get her suited up properly, and the like. Take her under your wing until she knows her way around -- I don't want her earning the displeasure of the queen."

Eve had agreed, and allowed her into the crowded bunk room. Most of the squad, from what Sophia had seen, was either still asleep, or showering in the adjoined bathroom -- which, to her horrible distaste, appeared to be communal. Those who were otherwise unoccupied had been all over her.

"What's your name?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Where are you from?"

"Who in the name of the Queen recruited you?"

She hadn't missed the distaste in their voices and had set them straight soon enough, with a small arsenal of sarcasm, barely concealed insults and subtle threats (on what she would do to them if they didn't stop looking at her hair that way and get that eyeliner away from her face). What had really seemed to work, though, was the answer to the last question -- that it had been Kuja himself. That seemed to spook them like nothing else she had said had, and the girls had quickly dispersed, leaving Eve to tell her where her bunk was and at what time that night she was expected to be showered and ready to go, so that she could get fitted for her armour before their shift started.

Sophia suddenly realised how heavy her eyes were. From her space on the top bunk, the sounds of the girls below -- who were talking in unnaturally hushed voices, telling her that she was most likely the topic of the day -- sounded distant to her ears. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night ... and she wasn't expected to be ready for five hours, according to the clock on the wall. Rolling over, and burying herself in the white cotton sheets, she was asleep within minutes.