Author's Note: This chapter is going to be taking a short leap into the past to when the King of Alexandria died. They never specify when he died, or his name so I'm going to be doing a bit of improvising. Garnet's birthday was never specified either, so I'm making that up too. I'm just going to make her birthday June sixteenth, as a reference point for the story.
Alexandria was a welcome sight for the general after the two days spent in Dali, and the hours trapped aboard the cargo ship. Kuja had failed to recognize Beatrix's need for space, or just chose to ignored it, during that time. Not one moment would pass where he wasn't chirping in her ear, fluttering around in her personal space, or simply watching her. The general was granted no peace then, but now she was blissfully alone. The arms dealer had been summoned to the queen's presence upon landing, and thankfully she was not. Kuja seemed somewhat disappointed by this, but took it all in his stride. He had made a dramatic exit; sweeping a bow and thanking the general profusely for her aid. The man had even gone so far as to say he would miss the sight of 'his beautiful rose,' before taking his leave of the dock.
With the sorcerer out of sight, it felt as if some of the weight bearing down on Beatrix's shoulders had been lifted. Tension fled from her muscles, and the general was glad for it. Being constantly on edge was not something the paladin was used to. Steady composure was her usual take on life; very few things got to her the way Kuja did. In fact, nothing had ever been able to shake her stoicism the way he did. Agitation was not an emotion Beatrix usually felt, or presented for public viewing, but it was becoming ever more present in her daily life with the mage. No matter how hard she tried to suppress it, it would somehow manage to bubble through the cracks of her composure.
On top of such emotional stress and confusion, Beatrix's mind was racing with all the new information in it. Thoughts clamored to be heard and explored, each one more pressing than the last. She needed a quite place to sort out her feelings and return them back into the iron box she usually kept them in. This conflict within her was hindering her focus and placing her duties in peril. The general could not allow this to continue any further.
Before she was certain where she would go, her feet were already leading the way. Beatrix watched the scenery go by, idly wondering where her subconscious mind was leading her. It wasn't until she reached the moat and stepped onto the ferry that she knew where she was headed. It was a good thing too, because the soldier that was rowing needed to know where to go.
"To Aerith Island." Beatrix said, her gaze darting off towards a small island resting some distance before them. The resting ground for all of Alexandria's royalty was there, positioned halfway between the city and the castle.
"Yes, General." The female soldier said and the boat began to move towards the appointed destination. This request was no strange thing coming from Beatrix and would raise no suspicion. Everyone knew of her visits there, she did not attempt to hide them.
~ ~ ~***~ ~ ~
The day was cool; a rarity for Alexandrian summers. It was usually hot enough to warrant a bit less clothes, but today was perfect. The wind whispered through the countless gravestones, monuments and tombs that littered the lush little island. Beatrix wandered the graveyard aimlessly for a while, enjoying the feeling of being alone.
'Alone with the dead.' She told herself, turning to the largest tomb in the graveyard. White marble shone in the sunlight, as perfectly polished as the day it had been built. Within it lay the most legendary of all Alexandria's Kings; Alexander himself. Worshiped now, the man had become a god. Beatrix herself prayed to him, he was after all the greatest holy knight, the first even.
Though Alexander's tomb was the perfect place for the general to release her worries and contemplate the future, he was not the one she had come to visit. Alexander was the one she had sought comfort in when she had been younger, when she was a newly appointed lieutenant general and worried for her country. At that young age, Beatrix would sit within those marble walls and gaze at the painted murals along them. She would walk the chambers filled with ancient things and imagine she could hear them whisper their secrets to her. It soothed her soul to be in that tomb, as odd as it sounds.
When uncertain of her path, she would sit before the grand sarcophagus that was said to cradle Alexander's very soul. They said he waited within, watching and listening, until Alexandria's need for him was great. It was those stories that had lead her there and had her speaking to him as if he sat beside her, eager to relieve her fears. Beatrix had done that countless times in the past, but she had not done so in some years. Alexander had not been her confidant for a long time.
It was His Majesty, King Edward Alexandros XV, that Beatrix had told her secrets and worries to for the last decade. It was him that she was going to now. Though it was a strange notion, she felt she needed to tell him what was happening. The general knew the dead king would get nothing from her report, but at least talking about things - even to herself - would make it all seem a bit more clear. Maybe she could decide what to do about her problem with Kuja.
Edward's tombstone rose out of the ground in the distance, beckoning Beatrix. The light glinted off the polished gray marble, stinging the general's good eye. She followed the stone path towards the Garden of Kings and found herself at the entrance to her king's gravesite. Cut off from the rest of the graveyard by a circle of high columns and the vines of ivy that climbed them, Edward's resting place gave Beatrix the feeling of solitude.
Kneeling in the entranceway, the general silently asked permission to step on this patch of hallowed ground. When the wind seemed to calm a moment, Beatrix took that as the only answer she would ever receive. Standing, she made her way to the center of the circle where Edward's tombstone stood. Around the stone sat several shields and helmets from fallen knights who had given their life to protect their king. Each item had the owner's name elegantly carved into it so that no one would ever forget the names of those who had served King Edwards so well.
Suddenly, she realized she had come empty handed and felt foolish for it. Never had she come before Edward's grave without something to offer. Weather it was polish to clean the helmets and shields or a small trinket she knew the King would have enjoyed in life, she always had something. Today she would have to apologize for all she bore on this visit was bad new.
Slowly, she explained all that was happening with Kuja to the dead king. Beatrix even told him of her unease when near the mage and the dark thought that were creeping into her mind where the puppeteer was concerned. She knew Edward would not fault her for it, but she felt ashamed to admit her attraction all the same. When she finished her report she waited in silence for the comforting words and helpful advice that was never to come.
"What is it you would have me do, Your Majesty ?" She pleaded in a hushed tone, almost desperate for a real answer. "Should I betray Her Majesty in order to preserve Alexandria's peace; a thing you and I fought so hard to achieve. Or is my duty to her alone and the promise I made to you?" Sinking to one knee and bowing, the general's mind wandered back to the day Edward died and the promise he begged her to agree to…
The day had been cold, horribly so. Snow had fallen harshly the night before, leaving the already ice covered city in a fresh blanket of snow. Training that day had been canceled, not only because of the blizzard, but because the king had taken a turn for the worst. It seemed as if his fight against the disease that had wracked his body for years was coming to a close, and it was not ending in victory. Edward had won so many battles in his, admittedly, too short life, but the battle against his own body was not one he could gain the upper hand in. The cancer was ripping through his body and tearing down his defenses, leaving him vulnerable to everything around him. Nothing Doctor Tot did seemed to ease his pain or halt Odin's ever encroaching grasp on Alexandria's beloved king.
News had come at dawn that Edward's cough had grown worse, his breathing barley a rasp now. Beatrix had planned to stay away from the castle that day and leave the royal family to the last precious hours with the king. It was really only an excuse to avoid the pain of watching her closest companion throughout the years of her trying life fade from this world. Watching Edward's drawn out wavering had crippled the great general's emotions, leaving her quite when away from him and desperately seeking his voice when at his side. She truly doubted her ability to hold herself together as His Majesty struggled for words and air, the strength in his voice gone. Witnessing such a thing would leave behind a greater scar than any she already bore.
The General's plan had been swiftly interrupted by a Pluto Knight bearing a message from Doctor Tot. The good doctor had wrote swiftly, trading his usual embellished words for more simple ones. It appeared as if the King had been asking for his general since the early hours of morning when the moons still held sway over the sky. Now, as the sun rose and the blizzard's rage subsided, he was demanding her presence. No one was seeking to refuse him now.
Beatrix had barley finished the final words of the letter before she was rushing to grab her cloak lined in bandersnatch fur. She left the poor Pluto Knight to stand at the dinning table she had been sitting at, not eating her breakfast, as he blinked confusedly at her sudden hast. When his slow wit caught on to the general's intent, he followed her out of the manor she called home.
The small courtyard in front of Beatrix's house was a field of white crystal, untouched save for the footsteps of the knight who had passed through here to give her the message. Swiftly, she passed through the yard without a thought for the cold snow that hugged around her ankles. The general remained silent as she went to the stables at the side of her manor, finding a chocobo already awaiting her.
With great haste she and the Pluto Knight past over the small field of green that separated her land from the city of Alexandria. The chocobos carried them easily through the city streets, cutting a path through the sparse crowd. Before Beatrix had even had the chance to think on what she was doing, she was at the moat and jumping off the bird and onto the ferry. She was impatient as the soldier at the front of the ship cut a slow way through the frozen waters with fire spell after fire spell.
By the time they reached the castle Beatrix was holding tightly to her nerves, all of them threatening to snap and escape her grasp. Though she appeared as collected on the surface as usual, if not a bit agitated, inside she was a mess. The castle was much the same. Outside, all seemed well, but in side the doors was a whole different story.
Servants skittered about, talking in hushed and fearful tones. The courtiers and high ranking soldiers moved about in the same manner, many of them sparing worried glances at the general as she swept through the halls towards the king's chamber. No one should have been up at this hour save the servants and a guards, but news traveled swiftly in Alexandria's castle. Panic was evident, almost palpable, in the air as Beatrix ascended the stairs to the floor which house the royal chambers.
Two of the general's most trusted soldiers pushed open the heavy doors baring the way to the waiting chamber beyond, sending saddened looks her way. The waiting chamber held a chaos all its own and for a moment Beatrix was shocked by the scene before her. Captain Stiener stood before the King's door, baring entrance, his face a tight mask hiding the conflict raging inside him. Before him stood the queen, wearing naught but her night gown and robe, screeching to be let through. At her side were her ladies-in-waiting, trying to comfort her and pull her away from the door. At the center of this was a very weary looking Doctor Tot, attempting to defuse the problem. Off to the side, in a corner, sat the princess in a dainty orange night gown clutching a stuffed toy moogle and crying.
It was as the general made her way towards the fourteen year old girl, deciding to ignore the others for now, that her presence was announced. Beatrix had totally forgotten the Pluto Knight that had accompanied her on her journey here until he spoke her name. Immediately, all went quite and the tension in the room ceased for a moment before tightening like a bow string once again.
Beatrix continued to disregard the others present even as they threw questions and demands at her. She remained focused on princess Garnet as she knelt before her and touched her small shoulder. Deep brown eyes, filled with tears and horrible bloodshot, gazed up at the general. A hiccup escape the princess as she sought to take in a dignified breath.
"What is going on?" The general asked softly, brushing away a few strands of ebony that hung in front of Garnet's eyes.
"F-father wont let us back i-in until he s-sees you." The teen said through desperate sobs, clutching the toy Beatrix had not seen in several years.
Nodding, Beatrix stood and looked over to where Stiener stood at attention. "Then I will be swift as possible, Majesty." She assured the princess before stepping forward only to be intersected by the queen. The woman's slightly rotund form, for it was not as large as in present day, halted the general's advance. The accusation in Brahne's eyes was clear and not at all unwarranted, as both knew all too well.
"You will not rob me of his last moments! you cannot!" The queen's order was let out in a sob, her tubby hands flying up to shield her renewed tears from view.
Bowing her head, Beatrix closed her eyes in a weary sort of way. This is exactly what she had hoped to avoid by staying in her home, far from the castle and its inhabitants. Today should have been for his family, but it seemed Edward would have it differently. "I am deeply sorry Highness. This was not my intent, nor wish. His Majesty had demanded my presence, you know I am unable to disregard this."
Brahne's hands dropped and the expression on her face was easily read; skepticism. But even the queen knew of the general's honesty and eventually logic won out. "Very well." The response was clipped as the queen moved aside for the general.
Stepping in front of Stiener, she exchanged the simplest of nods with him before he moved aside. Doctor Tot followed her into the receiving chamber and his words began flowing quickly as they made their way to the center of the room where he stopped them.
"The King's time is short." He told her blatantly, gazing up at Beatrix's cold mask for some kind of reaction. "Be quick and attempt to keep him from speaking too much, it will only shorten his stay and cause him more pain." Pausing, the doctor pushed his glasses up from the bridge of his large nose and pinched the spot where they had rested all night long. "He has a fever and passes in and out of delirium, do not be surprised if what he says makes little sense to you."
Silently, Beatrix nodded to the advice and steeled herself for the painful encounter. She crossed the rest of the room alone, and struggled with herself to open to door to Edward's sickroom. Finally, she did as she knew she must and entered the room.
What she saw was no shock, for Edward had looked this way for some time, but she took the king in as if she hadn't seen him in years nevertheless. The man's once full, shining black hair had dulled and was peppered with gray hair that had appeared far too early for his age. His hair line had retreated farther from his forehead at the temples in the past year, a thing that had come far sooner than it should have, as well. Even his skin, paler now than ever before, had aged beyond the years he boasted. At the age of thirty three, Edward looked nearly fifty. His once muscular frame had deteriorated heavily under the weight of his cancer and he was only a fraction of his weight three years before.
Suddenly, as if he felt Beatrix's eyes on him, Edward opened his eyes and smiled softly at her. The general returned the smile, happy to find one thing about him unchanged. No matter how time, illness and war had changed his other features, there were still two things unaltered by any of that. Edwards' pale green eyes still burned with the same fire he had on the day Beatrix had met him when he was a prince of seventeen and she a mere foot soldier of thirteen. His smile, too, still shined with all the kindness and mirth it held during those early years before war and sadness had every truly touched him.
"The hour is late, General Beatrix. I find the sun setting on me already and the blood-red moon rising to greet me. I fear even your great sword will not defend me from Odin's Zantetsuken." Edward's voice was steady despite the listless way he spoke. As Beatrix had feared, his voice held far less of the strength it once had. It tore at her insides to hear him speak in such a way, for she knew exactly what he was saying.
No, he did not mean night was approaching. He was not as confused as that; this was no delirium induced speech. The king was speaking of death in the same way he and she always had; as a closing to one thing that lead to the next. Edward knew his end was near; the sun was setting on his life. Not only that, but he knew there was nothing to be done. Odin would descend upon him this day, and cleave Edward's soul from the physical plain and carry him off to the next life.
"Valhalla will greet thee with great pride and sprit, my warrior king. Our fallen comrades will welcome you home with open arms." Beatrix's response came out as if she had practice it, though it held a great deal of warmth and sincerity. Deep down, she felt as if it was an inadequate comfort and felt at a loss for anything else to say.
Laughter, strained and choking, bubbled out of Edward as he sat up. "Yes, but without you there it will hardly feel like home." He said, mirth somehow lacing with an underlying seriousness.
"Do not say such things, Majesty." The general said, turning her gaze away from the king only to find nothing of interest and settling her eyes on the floor.
Another laugh left the king, shorter this time. "Ah, not a thing a virtuous king should say to his equally virtuous general." There was sarcasm in his tone along with a strange sort of bitterness that sounded foreign coming from Edward.
The biting remark had Beatrix's blood boiling and her gaze shot to her king. "No, it is not." Beatrix snapped out, taking an angry step towards the foot of Edwards bed.
"Hmm…" The king hummed, nodding solemnly before shaking his head softly. "But virtuous we are not," At Beatrix's annoyed grunt of disapproval, Edward paused and back tracked a little. "Or, have not been in the past. Can we not drop the masks we wear, even at this late hour?"
Beatrix thought on this question a long moment before sighing, and giving into this last request. "I suppose, in this late hour, we can remove the masks on last time." The general said, her usually square shoulders dropping a fraction before raising again; as if she had physically shrugged of her title with her cloak. The heavy fabric pooled at her feet, the metal clasp clinking as it hit the ground.
Another smile graced Edward's features as he took in a ragged breath and closed his eyes, savoring the now free air. When he exhaled, the sound raspy, his eyes opened and he beckoned for Beatrix to come closer with a bony hand. "Bea, what would I do without your understanding?" He questioned as the blond settled herself beside him and took his extended hand.
"You would have lost yourself long ago." Beatrix said, repeating the king's own long-ago uttered words. Her hazel eyes were downcast, trained on the king's hand in her own and wondering at how fragile it felt. In days long past these very hand had felt as if they could crush her when they had lain upon her, despite the gentleness they had always shown her.
"Yes, and it is that understanding I will need again, now." Edward said in a most serious manner as he gently lifted his hand from hers and brought it beneath her chin. Lifting her face softly, he planted a loving kiss on her lips. There was nothing new in the act, as they had done it many times before, but it was an experience they had not shared in some years.
The kiss was over far too soon for Beatrix and a sinking feeling settled into the pit of her stomach as she realized it was likely their last. The thought was hard to bear, but bear it she must. She could not press for more time, more kisses, or more loving words. No, she had to rush him to his point, his reason for calling her here. There was a family, his family, waiting beyond the doors that separated them from reality. No matter how selfish they wished to be in their last moments together, Beatrix could not give into that selfishness. She had robbed Brahne of too much of her husband in the past, had betrayed Princess Garnet's trust and ill-earned adoration by the time spent with the girl's father. There was no way she would commit such atrocities now, not when there was so little time left in this man's life.
"What is it you want of me, Ed?" She pressed, using the long unemployed nickname she had for the king.
"Wasting no more time, I see." Edward did not seek to hide his disappointment and sighed heavily before taking Beatrix's hand in his once more. "I've a family to say goodbye to, too I suppose." Those pale green eyes shot towards the oak double doors that remained closed. There was no missing the fact that he was reluctant to do as he must.
"Yes, the princess is deeply distraught. I have never seen her in such a state." Beatrix felt the need to remind him to hasten his words when none were forthcoming after a few minutes.
Another, ragged, sigh escaped the waning king as he slumped back into his pillows and looked to his general. "The princess has much to do with what I am about to ask of you. There is much you do not know about her. Secrets that I should have told you long ago…" It seemed the king would go on , but suddenly he broke out in a fit of coughs.
"Ed, are you well? Should I get Doctor Tot?"
Beatrix was already halfway off the bed and ready to do just that when Edward pulled her back down to the bed. "No, I am not well. As you already know, dear Bea, but there is no need to disturb Tot." Clearing his throat, the king continued on. "I fear for Brahne after I am gone. The pressure of ruling the kingdom alone will weight too heavily on her already fragile shoulders." It perturbed Beatrix a little that he was continuing on as if he hadn't just coughed up blood onto a handkerchief , but it was she who had asked for hate so she could not complain.
"Garnet is still young yet, and not ready to rule." Another, shorter bout of coughing ushered out of the king and Beatrix held tight to his hand as they racked through his body. Afterwards, she could feel him shaking from pain and exhaustion. "I know, with my death, you will have the chance to lay down your title and live the peaceful life I've always wished for yo--"
"I would never abandon Alexandria." Beatrix protested sharply before Edward raised a hand to silence her.
"I know, I know Bea." He said, placing his lifted hand over their clasped ones. "But you will have to make your vow to Brahne now, and I know how you feel about her." At this Beatrix opened her mouth to protest once more, but Edward cut her of before she got the chance. "Don't bother denying it, Bea, it would be a lie anyways. Do not compromise the virtuous nature I know you posses." There was a small chuckle from the king followed by single cough before he continued.
"Despite what you think of her, Brahne is a caring woman. She loves Alexandria, and the people love her. She may stumble in the beginning, but I know she can carry the kingdom until Garnet is ready. You must protect her, for me. You know how the court, council and soldiers will feel about a ruler not of royal blood. My marriage to her or not, she is still of Trenoian decent."
"Yes, they were our enemies for such a long time." Beatrix cut in, shaking her head. It was Edwards marriage to Brahne that had stopped that long feud and some older citizens were still weary of the alliance.
"Yes, and besides that, there has never been a lone rule not of the blood. Even with Garnet as the heir, there will be doubt amongst some. They would try to force Brahne into relinquishing the throne to Garnet earlier than strictly necessary. I would not have this." Edward dropped his gaze, his hand going to the large pendant around his neck.
Beatrix's eye drifted to the heirloom that had been as much a part of Edward as Save the Queen was to herself. That large gem represented the future of Alexandria. The pendent would pass to the next eligible blood heir upon their fifteenth birthday, no matter the condition of the current ruler. Edward had always carried it with such pride and strength, even in the worst of times. Now, though, the object looked too large, too heavy and far too ostentatious for the dying man to be burdened with. The Future of Alexandria would not be his to safeguard much longer; that honor would pass to Garnet in a few short months.
"You discovered the burden of the crow too early in life. You don't want that for the princess." Beatrix provided for him, understanding him fully.
A nod from Edward confirmed her guess. "Support Brahne in every decision. Never stray from your duty to her; that is what I ask of you. Nudge her in the right direction when you feel her stray too far from the right course, but don't ever abandon her." The king fell silent and then another coughing fit erupted. Bloop spewed from his mouth, some dripping off his handkerchief onto the coverlet.
Alarmed Beatrix moved to go get help, but was stopped by Edward's hand on her writs. For a moment it seemed all his old strength had returned to him as he held her in place. "No, there is no time. I've already told you; the blood-moon is rising." Suddenly, Edward's expression changed, his eyes glossing over and going distant even as he pulled Beatrix back down onto the mattress.
What was it he was thinking of, or seeing in his fevered state? Could he be hearing the hoof beats of Odin's steed bringing the blade of Zantetsuken ever closer? Could he feel that black blade sinking into him slowly, pulling the life from him?
"Edward?" Beatrix pleaded, not ready to see the fire go out in those eyes.
"Huh?" Edward shook himself, his eyes focusing on his general once more. "Oh, umm…" It took him a moment to collect himself before he found his words once more. "Garnet's time will come, but you must help Brahne safeguard the kingdom until then. I know I have no right to ask such thing of you after all I have…" A racking cough interrupted him, but still he sought to go on, "All I have done to…" another blood filled cough and a wince of pain. "I should have been better to…" Now he was coughing fully, more blood passing his lips than should have been possible.
"Ed, that is enough. I will do as you ask! No more words now."
Nodding, Edward fell silent and laid back down. His eyes closed softly and he smiled, "You haven't changed a bit, Bea. Still as fretful as a mother hen." What came after was probably meant to be a laugh, but turned into the worst cough the general had eve heard when Edward choked on his own blood. The coughing seemed to be never ending and soon he was clutching onto Beatrix's hand, gasping for the air he just could not seem to gain purchase upon.
"Edward don't you dare die on me!" Beatrix scolded in a sad and loving way, catching the king's eye. The pain reflecting in those pale green eyes tore at the seasoned warrior, making her feel guilty for asking him to stay longer. There was fire behind his eyes still as Edward looked at her, fighting for the time he knew he truly did not have.
"Doctor Tot! Get the Queen in here, now!" Beatrix demanded loudly to the man in the next room. Edward tugged at her hand, shaking his head as vigorously as he could manage. The coughing had stopped, but he was shaking so violently that it was evident he would slip from this world at any moment. "I'm sorry Ed, but you must allow her to say her goodbyes. We were both too selfish to disallow her this now. She loves you, let this moment pass with her."
A nod of resignation was the dying king's answer as he squeezed his general's hand one last time before letting go. When the queen burst through the door, princess on her heels, Beatrix stepped away so they could take her place. The general did not wander far, going as far as the foot of the bed to stand a silent vigil over the royal family. As ever, she would be the one in the background, protecting and guiding. As ever, she would abide by her duty and honor, disregarding her own heart.
When the king passed it appeared as peaceful as slipping off into slumber, but Beatrix knew the truth. She had seen the pain he was hiding from those around him. She had seen the fear of all the responsibilities he was leaving behind flash in his eyes before he turned his gaze from Bahne. She was the one who had to watch the fire she loved so very much leave those eyes as he took on last, longing, look in her direction.
And she was the one who had to live with the knowledge that Brahne had not missed Edward's gaze or the silent words that formed on his lips…
Standing, Beatrix shook off the sadness pushing down on her. How could she even think to go back on her promise to this man? She owed Brahne far more than she could ever possibly give for her transgressions upon the queen's marriage. Against her better judgment, she had thrown aside her knightly virtue, for a time, and given into something that should have never been. It was her duty now to follow this woman into the pit of hell and protect her along the way. Hopefully, they would come out the other side unscathed, or, at the very least, alive. After all, a promise made should always bee a promise kept.
Author's Note: Please read and review! I know some of my ideas may not be well received concerning Beatrix's relationship with the king, but oh well. Let me know what you think, just try not to bee too harsh guys. No throwing of rotten vegetables, please! Oh, and I'm still looking for a beta so if anyone is interested please message me!
P.S. You should really check out my new mini-story 'Kuja's Lullaby'! ;)