"You're kidding. Please, tell me that you're kidding, Dag..."

Garnet lowered her eyes in response. Zidane took a deep breath, trying not to lose control.

"He killed Puck... he almost did Freya in too... I'll destroy that piece of..!"

A violent surge of magic started crackling and arcing around him as his voice got more and more distorted. Garnet immediately took a step back when the phenomenon started intensely illuminating the royal chamber.

"Zid... you're manifesting the aura!"

"I... I'm sorry, honey... just... give me a second..." the genome said, closing his eyes to focus on controlling himself. After a short inner struggle, he managed to rein in his power.

"Are you okay, darling?" the queen asked, carefully approaching him again.

"No... I'm not okay knowing that this scumbag chancellor got away with murdering a friend!" Zidane growled, trembling with rage, "I knew the very moment he showed up that he would become a royal pain in the ass. I just didn't imagine he would resort to regicide to usurp the throne."

"I know, Zid.. I know... but we need to stay calm. Ulrich has not officially announced Puck's death, so it's not yet the time to make our move. If we rush to act we may end up triggering a war..." Garnet answered, tenderly caressing his cheek to help him cool down.

"... You have no idea how powerless I feel right now..." the genome sighed, finally lowering his head in defeat and embracing his wife. Garnet closed her eyes and held him lovingly.

"Me too, darling... and he will pay for his atrocities in due time, but now we must gather all the information we can and be extremely careful," Garnet said, looking her husband in the eyes, "It may be too late for a peaceful resolution, but I want to try. The Burmecian people has already suffered too much at the hands of Alexandria."

Zidane smiled at her as he brushed her hair aside.

"Damn, Dag... you're so beautiful when you care about everyone."

Garnet chuckled.

"What can I say? A certain lovable rogue must have rubbed off on me," she answered, radiant.

"Nah, that's all you. That's why I love you," he answered before warmly kissing her.

Three knocks on the door interrupted the couple mid-kiss.

"Your Majesties, I have urgent news for you!" exclaimed Beatrix from the outside.

"Please, come in!" Garnet ordered, letting go of Zidane.

Without losing a second, the armor-clad legendary paladin of Alexandria entered the room.

"We got him," she said.

Below the majestic white and gold of the Alexandrian castle, lied its dark dungeon made of cold steel and stone. Zidane and Garnet knew the place far too well, having been subjected to the atrocities that it used to house in the past. Nowadays it was a mostly unused museum relic that reminded them about the dark nature of power every time they visited it.

Beatrix, torch in hand, led both monarchs through the darkness with military cadence. She stopped in front of a heavy wooden door guarded by a soldier.

"Open the door, Stendhal," she ordered. The warden immediately obeyed and the trio entered the cell.

"There you have him. The sole survivor of the alleyway massacre," the general said.

Blindfolded and chained, a badly battered burmecian was lying on the floor. He breathed with difficulty and his white fur was stained in many places with his own blood.

"Tell me you didn't torture him, Beatrix," Garnet said, dryly.

"Not at all, ma'am. I've actually saved his life," Beatrix answered.

"How so?"

"He was heavily wounded by shrapnel. It's a miracle he managed to survive running away like he did."

"How did you find him?" Zidane inquired.

"The blood trail he left behind made him easy to track. His inhuman jumping prowess only delayed the inevitable."

"Jumping prowess? You mean this guy is a dragoon?" the king asked, bewildered.

"Next to warriors like Crescent he's more like a whelp," the general scornfully said, looking at the would-be assassin. "But yes, he's undoubtedly a dragon magic user."

"Has he said anything useful?" Garnet intervened.

"No. He's been unconscious since we captured him, but worry not, ma'am: he will sing like a canary."

"Remember: no torture. We don't want to give the burmecian people any more reasons to abhor us. Besides, his status as a professional soldier will come in handy as leverage against his master."

"A wise decision, indeed," the swordswoman commented "I'll keep you informed about the results of the interrogation."

"Thanks, Beatrix. You have done an excellent job," the queen answered, giving the burmecian a last look before leaving the dungeon.