Chapter 3:

Morning broke that day, peacefully. The window that was opened the night before stayed that way and the warm summer breeze played along the lace drapery that hung. Outside the green of the trees was illuminated by the sun that was also sharing its light with the two sleeping forms residing on the queen's bed. For the first time in weeks Garnet actually dreamed, she was in places and settings that were like heaven. The world was always soft and comforting just like the embrace that she had been craving ever since her mother died. Beside her Zidane lay just half a foot away, his tail closing the space, as always, draped over Garnet's stomach.

Zidane started to awake to the golden rays lighting up Garnet's white dress still being worn from the day before. He lifted his head to the hazy morning drowned sound of a creaking sound. In the doorway stood a shocked servant holding a silver platter with a teapot and other morning supplies on it. Staring wide eyed at the situation in front of her, she dropped her tray and ran screaming something indistinct down the hall. Garnet bolted out of bed looking alertly around the room. She looked to Zidane for answers but his face only showed pure bewilderment.

The maid returned to the room with Head Councilman Paulus and two guards. She quickly pointed a broken nailed hand at Zidane who was now sitting up in bed. "That's him!" she screamed, "That's the heathen that deflowered our Queen! That's him! That's him!" Paulus cracked a sleazy smile through his old deflated lips and leaned against the door. "Thank you, Betsy. You may go now." The maid left leaving Paulus who was now giving a low throaty chuckle.

Garnet jumped out of her bed and shuffled through her dress over to Paulus. "It is not how it looks Paulus." Garnet assured him, "Though I must request you fire that maid for accusing me of something like that. If something like this spread through out town I can only imagine what would happen to my image."

Paulus nodded his head in agreement, "Oh I assure you it won't get out. I'll have the maid executed for you."

"Paulus!" Garnet objected, "We would never order anyone to death! That's not how we do things here."

Paulus shifted his weight to the other shoulder, he still slumped against the door frame with his typical creepy smile. He laughed a little harder this time and winked a droopy eye lid at Garnet who was starting to feel very uncomfortable by his demeanor. "My dear, I'm afraid your use of "we" is going to only be the royal "we" from now on. I knew that eventually your strange looking bum of a boyfriend would come around. I could smell it coming really; he does have that unusual funk about him. What is it again? Oh yes: poverty and jail time," The old man laughed at his own joke as he gave an almost predatorily stare at the queen, "though I'm not surprised by it coming from you. You are, after all, an outsider with the blood from an archaic society that clearly should have died sooner. But we really must count our blessings shouldn't we?"

No one had ever been so cruel to her in one single period of time. It was starting to become foggy to her, the rage had built up to the point where she felt she was no longer in true control of her actions. She would have even gone so far to say that for a brief moment in time Beatrix herself had entered her body from the grave to give her the strength to defend herself. Her fist swiftly swung up from her side and pounded the old man across the face causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor. "You will not talk to me that way! Ever!" Garnet commanded as she stared down at the man who was now holding his bleeding face.

There was silence all around the room, the guards had lost their cold natural expressions and Zidane simply stood with his hands limp at his sides, speechless. It was only a few hours ago that she was crying on her bed and now she had managed to gain the power to bloody someone's face. Unfortunately Garnet's display of power wasn't intimidating to Paulus. He stood up and wiped the blood away but the same smile he held still remained.

Garnet faced the guards standing behind the councilman, "Get Steiner in here!" she ordered but no one moved an inch. "Did you not hear me? Get Steiner!"

"He has stepped down from his duties. I told him to." Paulus announced.

"What did you say?" The queen asked in disbelief.

The old man pulled a paper from his pocket; it was folded into four panels he held it up for Garnet to see clearly. "I think I should let you know now that you have just given me right to execute the last wishes of your mother. This here in my hand is her last will and testament."

Garnet stood in shock her knees became weak and she started to stumble backwards into a sitting position on her bed. She hadn't one clue what was going to happen but she did know that it wasn't going to be good at all.

"It says here," Paulus continued, "that you may ascend the throne and rule Alexandria only if you are in sound mind and in sound body. If you do not meet those listed requirements you are to have a portion of your power – roughly about ninety percent, given over to the council where we will then decide what is the best for Alexandria."

"You're a liar…" Garnet mumbled through her dazed mask she wore.

"Call me a liar if you want, it's here in writing." Paulus retorted as he dropped the papers in her lap. She read through them slowly her fingers rubbing against the sharp sides of the document. Garnet looked up at him with disdain through an angry cage of dark hair. She tore the document up and through the pieces up in the air. Again that laugh tore from the old man's throat.

"That will do you no good, child. Do you know how many copies of that I have? There is nothing you can do to stop the wheels you have just set in motion. I have witnesses here to prove that you have clearly become too hysterical to command this city properly. You have become quite promiscuous and violent to. You have uncontrollable out bursts of rage." He gestured to the bloody smudge on his face and then folded his arms triumphantly. In one last attempt to fight Garnet stood up again, her face sculpted in anger she raised her fist slowly it shook in pure rage.

"It's over, Garnet." Paulus stated. Garnet plummeted to the floor leaning forward praying that she would wake up from some sort of demonic dream but she didn't wake up. She just sat on the floor as her spirit slowly escaped her body. Zidane crept closer to her his hand hovering over her back. He looked up at the elderly man and began to lunge at him but Paulus evaded his attack and moved back behind the guards.

"Make sure this 'rapist' and thief is executed." Paulus said with a grin as he left. Following his command the guards took hold of each of Zidane's arms Garnet's head flew up in horror as she watched her last life line be dragged away. She grabbed at him trying to pull him back to her but she only stumbled back to the ground where she lay helplessly sobbing.