"Garnet." He was going to speak to her, attempt words of comfort like he had never known, but she had answered by fainting. And now Kuja, feared (and presumably dead) enemy of Gaia, found himself in quite a predicament. What to do with the unconscious body of Queen Garnet Til Alexandros?

While she was not heavy, the princess was not a load that he wished to carry. Catching her as she crumpled to the marble floor was a simple reaction, one that had come to him with ease. One simply did not let a fainting woman fall to the ground if he could catch her.

A wisp of her dark hair tickled his nose and Kuja blew a puff of air at it, hoping to chase away the invasive strand. Sadly, the annoying hair refused to comply, instead swinging back to tickle his nose once more.

Kuja shook his head in a last attempt to get away from this torture. Oh no. He could feel it coming on…

ACHOO!!

A sneeze startled the princess back into consciousness. She did so reluctantly, comfortable as she found herself wrapped in the warm, soft, cuddly…

…arms of the man who killed Zidane!!

Straightening suddenly, Garnet painfully bumped her head against the offending man's jaw. Wincing, she backed up a step, rubbing the sore spot with her hands. There was going to be a bump there! First he killed the man she loved then he caused her to bump her head! Was there no end to this man's impudence?!

Kuja's thoughts were along the same line. He had gone out of his way for this little brat and she wasn't making his journey worthwhile. He hadn't had to make the journey to Alexandria. It had actually been his intention to go somewhere else…

But where? What purpose do you have in living now?

Kuja shook his head in an attempt to quiet the voice. His eyes met Garnet's stormy grey ones. She looked thoroughly pissed.

"Yes?" he drawled, certain that it would do nothing but enflame her anger even further. He was not disappointed.

Stiffening, Garnet glared at her long-time enemy. If looks could kill, Kuja mused, he would be meeting his maker at that moment. But looks apparently could not kill, for all that the queen's glare served to do was amuse its recipient.

"Get out of here," she hissed, eyes narrowed into silver slits that flashed angrily at him. "No matter who you look like, you will not insult me like this!"

Beneath the flash of annoyance that followed Garnet's declaration Kuja felt something else, something deep and warm that almost caused him to smile at her show of pride. He quelled the emotion; it was not his own, of that he was certain. Instead, he nodded, biting back his own harsh reply.

Manners were not a thing that Kuja had forgotten since his ordeal in the Lifa Tree. Bowing slightly to the queen, Kuja backed towards the door, feeling for the cold metal of the antique handle. Suspicion clouded Garnet's eyes, but she said nothing as he bowed once more and quietly slipped out of the room.

The strength that Garnet had been trusting to see her through the meeting with Kuja finally left her. Drained, she slipped to her knees, exhausted beyond belief. Her breath was shaky, her eyes wet with tears, but on her face was a smile of triumph. It had been hard, but she had won; she had beaten Kuja in a battle of wills.

There is an old saying that goes: "Out of sight, out of mind." This, however, does not mean that the problem goes away; it merely is thought of no more. When Kuja left Garnet's rooms, she put no more thought on him, dwelling instead on the loss of her lover, Zidane. Kuja, however, took it upon himself to play the façade of being the queen's lost love for a bit longer. Upon leaving the royal chambers, he sought out the woman guard (Beatrix…was that her name?). He knew that the princess (queen) was too preoccupied to think of what to do about their situation, but Kuja was quite able to think up an excuse that would allow him to stay in the castle, close to the one he felt obligated to comfort.

But where did this desire to assuage the beautiful monarch's pain come from? In his past life he had not bothered to consider what other's thought or felt, caring only for himself and what he wanted. He took comfort in the knowledge that the concern he felt for Garnet was not his own; it was that other's. But it was concern nevertheless. He could not keep himself from wincing inside every time that she cried, from breaking a little at the sight of her eyes wet with tears or narrowed in anger. It was killing him, this existence, even as it allowed him to live. How could he survive with these borrowed emotions filling him?

Beatrix prodded him gently, and Kuja jumped in surprise. She nodded towards a door that they'd stopped in front of. "You can stay here until Garnet sets up more permanent apartments for you," she murmured. He nodded and smiled at her, a friendly smile he hoped.

"Thank you, Beatrix," he replied. She gazed at him for a moment longer then nodded and left. Uncertain as to whether she suspected anything or not, Kuja shrugged off the encounter and entered the rooms that she had specified, intent on enjoying his time as a guest in the castle.

Hey, everyone! Thanks for reading my story. Yush, I know that it's been an UBER LONG TIME since I've updated last, but…eh, at least I updated, right? ;;

I'll try to update more…. /sigh But really, it's almost depressing that I don't have too many updates… I CAN SEE YOUR VIEWS!!! UPDATE PLEASE!!! RAAAAWR!!! 3 Heehee!

Have a good day, everyone!

By the waaay…y'know, if you have any ideas, I'm not against listening to them! I might even use a few of them! Lord knows that I could use a couple new ideas as I've forgotten what I'd intended to do with this...cough /shy

And random messages are okay too!