Chapter 5:

Garnet sat in her room quietly reading one morning, she thought about Leopold more than she would have liked to only managing to get through one page of her book that day. She wasn't sure why she was so interested in the man so shortly after Zidane's "death". She wouldn't say she was taken with him but she was taken with the company he had given here for the last few days. Even though they weren't related by blood she was happy to know that she had someone to feel like family with. Only two days after there meeting in the garden they had managed to pull off long conversations about all sorts of topics; politics, literature, gardening, and many other things. She was shocked at how intelligent the new General was even though the way he carried himself said otherwise. After all, his job in life wasn't to look suave, he was a tactician and a battle planner. Only his mind really mattered. A knock on her door followed by a familiar voice made Garnet fold her thumb in her book to save her spot.

"Your highness, may I enter?" Leopold peeked from behind her door with his boyish smile that had become his trademark to Garnet. She looked over and smiled at him as she rested her book delicately in her lap.

"Certainly." She said, standing up to greet him. The man came in with a bouquet of lilies handing them to her a little uncertain of her reaction. Garnet smiled and accepted the gift allowing a few moments of laughter to escape. Leopold cocked his head to the side almost creating a perfect image of a confused puppy. His blue eyes were shifted in bewilderment.

"May I ask what is so funny, your Highness?" He asked a little worried that she didn't like his gift.

"It was a nice gesture, Leopold. It's just lilies are more appropriate for funerals. But don't get me wrong, I do love them." Garnet replied inhaling the subtle sent the flowers gave off.

"Oh, forgive me, your Highness." The general said, a little ashamed, "I picked them out because they are white like all of your dresses and I thought it was a pure color. Just like you."

"Oh no,no,no." Garnet insisted, "Don't apologize, I really do appreciate these. It's been so long since I've received and gifts, let alone such lovely flowers."

"I am pleased to hear your Highness likes them." Leopold said with quick little bow.

"Please, Leopold," she said as she placed the flowers in a vase on her dresser, adjusting the stems to an attractive look, "I rarely enjoy being addressed so formally by friends. Just call me Dag…Garnet." She stopped for a moment cursing herself for bringing up such a painful name. She closed her eyes and gently put the flower in her hand down into the vase.

"Garnet, are you alright?" Leopold asked sweetly, Garnet shook her head and bit her thumb trying to keep her from remembering Zidane. She tried to stare at objects around her that might have calmed her down; the trees outside, the carpet, the pictures on her wall, but her eyes were continuing to get warm and weepy. Leopold started to feel a little awkward. He rubbed his elbow with his gloved hand concerned he had upset Garnet.

"It's ok, Leopold. I'm alright. I just reminded myself of something unpleasant." She laughed at herself on the inside "unpleasant" was such a tame word to use. She really would have liked to use "excruciatingly painful" but accepting how much it she was hurting would have made pain all the more intense.

"I-Is this about the grave you were at the other day?" Leopold boldly asked.

"It wasn't a grave. It was a memorial." Garnet said coldly as sat down and plucked the candle from its spot in her petticoat.

"Who was it, if I may ask?" The answer he wanted was met by girl's sigh. She tried to speak but she found she had trouble; she swallowed a few times trying to regain her voice without breaking down completely.

"Zidane. Every day I light a candle for him, I hope my visits to his memorial help him rest peacefully. He was," she paused trying with all her might not to cry. She still wasn't used to thinking about him in past tense, "an extraordinary man."

"What happened to him?" Leopold asked in a childlike tone.

"He was executed two weeks ago by Paulus, the head of my council. He was killed on charges made up by the councilman…"

Leopold's mouth hung open forming an oddly shaped "O". He backed up slowly to her door trying to not make eye contact with the Queen. His hand limply grasping the doorknob, he looked up and quietly announced, "I have to go."

Bolting from Garnet's chambers Leopold ran down the checkered stone halls of the castle. He counted door after door after door until he final reached his destination. Without knocking he flung the last polished wooden door open, Paulus swirled around in his chair looking very shocked with the man who had just busted violently through his door.

"Leopold," Paulus greeted the man with welcoming arms, "I'm surprised you're in town so soon! How long have you been here? I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived, I was on business in Lindblum the last few days."

"Father, what did you do?!" Leopold franticly screamed.

Paulus looked confused "I don't know. What did I do?"

"You killed an innocent man - Zidane was it?!" Leopold was now pacing around the room with his hand on his forehead.

"Oh calm down, boy. I did nothing of the sort." The old man frowned as he stroked the quill pen in his hand.

"Well the Queen seems to think so!" The general screamed.

"Oh so you two have met? I'm glad, I was going to introduce you two once you got settled in here but it seems you're one step ahead of me." Paulus gained a humorous tone.

"Father – Zidane, why did you kill him? Please tell me." Leopold insisted.

"I told you I did nothing of the sort," repeated him self sounding a little annoyed, "He lives and breathes as we speak. He's in the prison, though I don't know why you are so concerned. It sounds like you have an interest in the queen, why would you want the competition?"

"I'm sorry but I am an honorable man – I don't know where I got that from as it certainly didn't come from you. I would never convince a poor girl that her boyfriend was executed!" Leopold clenched his jaw in anger as his father just sat across from him with the same carefree expression. It looked as if some unseen person had told him an amusing joke.

"Leopold," the old man said with a tired sigh, still smiling, "you have to understand that I had to separate Zidane from Garnet for the good of the country."

"How would it hurt anything for them to be together?"

"This country has been on a decline since the former Queen Brahn –may she rest in peace, went crazy. If nothing is done to stop her lineage from dying out, this country will go into a phase where no one is in power. This will cause absolute chaos. Now, since there are no living blood relatives of Brahn there is no way to stop the inevitable. This country will crumble and destroy itself."

"But what about Garnet, she's an Alexandros, why can't she continue the line?"

"No, she was adopted from a primitive town on the lost continent. The only thing keeping the kingdom going right now is her connection to the country's security. Her ability to summon the secret eidolon, Alexander makes people feel safe with her in power. However, she simply doesn't have the instinct to rule like her adopted ancestors did."

Leopold sighed and rubbed his temples, it was too much information for him to ingest all at once and yet he was still confused as to what it was all about. "Ok, but what does this have to do with Zidane?"

"Well, boy. This is where you come in. I am currently setting up a marriage ceremony between you and the girl. You will become king and maintain the status quo as we will the closest thing to the Alexandros' reign. If I kept Zidane around there would be no order here. For one thing he isn't going to continue the blood line and another he's a damned vagabond. If you and Garnet get married and produce an heir, that child will not only have our blood but will start an entirely new line of powerful summoners."

Leopold stood dumbstruck; he wasn't very close to his father but for the longest time he never imagined him as crazy as he was now. "What if I don't want to marry her? I like her well enough, she's sweet, intelligent, beautiful, but she's very hung up about Zidane. I'd rather give up being king than to rob her of her true happiness."

Paulus lifted an eyebrow and swirled slowly back to his desk dipping his quill into it ink well. "That's fine. I will have to kill Garnet and assume the position as king myself. The people won't feel as safe without Garnet here to protect them but I won't fail with a good general like yourself in charge of my army, right son? Though I'd rather not kill the key to everyone's assured safety."

"But she doesn't love me, Father. Doesn't that matter at all to you? I'm your son don't you want what's best for me?"

"Marriage isn't about love in our world, it's about duty. And from way you talk about her, it sounds like you'll be getting what's best for you anyways."

Leopold stood in silence there was nothing he could do to stop what was coming. He wanted to run down the halls and let Garnet know that Zidane was alive, he wanted to tell her to run away as fast as she could and save her from a life she never wanted to live, but there was nothing he could do. Nothing.

"So shall I set up a marriage ceremony at the end of this week then? I think I'll be able to get doves and white center pieces or whatever her little heart desires in that amount of time."

"Fine." Leopold said under his breath, defeated.

"Great so things are all in order and hopefully we'll have an heir 9 month's from Friday." The old man cackled as he scribbled down various notes and signatures. His son exited his office and leaned against the wall, his face pointed at the ceiling shocked, and afraid. His father was calling all the shots now.