N/A: And here it is! The infamous Chapter 45, which went through an even worse development hell than Half Life 3 and changed hands for almost a year until I finally managed to complete it. Shout-out to my dear friends Josh1013 and Anti-Broadcast, who did the impossible to help me finish this Frankenstein monster of a chapter. Shout-out to the amazing Janet K. Wallace as well, who tirelessly encouraged me to finish it despite my own self-doubting. Without further ado, enjoy, lmfao
April 2nd, 1820, the Birdcage, Alexandria.
17:00 P.M.
Gazing at the airships as they descended upon the hanging fortress, Garnet couldn't help but be reminded of the ravenous dragons that a desperate Kuja had stormed Gaia's combined fleets with decades ago, as they carved a path towards Memoria.
She had called upon the main noble houses of the realm to retake the city's capital, which had fallen in the hands of the seditious royal council and its hordes. However, only five out of eight clan leaders had shown up for the war assembly.
"The others are probably just running a bit late..." she muttered, sarcastically. At least the numbers still favored her.
The enormous winged behemoths docked at the Birdcage's piers, each bearing its house's emblem on its sturdy steel hide. Five stern-faced lords emerged from the beasts' innards, their weapons and armor gleaming in the sun as they approached the royal couple.
Lady Seraphina was the first to pay her respects to the queen, an old ally of her family and perhaps her most devoted general after Steiner and Beatrix themselves. Lady Evangeline followed, always sharp and cunning, attentive to every gesture of her sovereigns, no matter how minuscule. Third was Lord Magnus, a rarity among the matriarchal Alexandrian clans, renowned for his talent as a military strategist, his ferocity in battle, and his infamous lack of social graces. The greedy Lady Cedrica came fourth, always seeking profit in exchange for her loyalty. Last was the enigmatic Lady Jinn, ever the loner, hiding her allegedly mutilated visage behind a porcelain mask whose delicate, doll-like features made her presence even more unsettling.
The sound of armored boots echoed through the fortress' corridors like war drums as Garnet and her allies headed to the assembly hall. Conversation was scarce, as the kingdom's fragile situation led each clan leader to play their cards close to their chest. During that dreadful march, which felt almost eternal, Garnet only found a measure of solace in the reassuring smiles from her husband and her loyal comrades from the Mist War. She wasn't alone.
The assembly hall had once been a grand sight, evident from the intricate woodwork and exquisite wooden furniture that adorned the space. However, the help had to put in some serious effort to undo decades of neglect in the short time it took for the nobles to arrive. Everyone knew that losing Alexandria Castle had been such a massive blow to the nation's morale that Garnet had to pay attention to every detail if she wanted to garner enough support for a counterattack.
17:20 P.M.
"Ladies and gentlemen, while I assume you're already aware of why I've summoned you here. I want to take this moment to go over the unfortunate recent events again, to prevent any misinformation from spreading," said the queen, starting the meeting. Seated on chairs around a large table with a map of Alexandria on top of it, Zidane, Freya, Eiko, Cid, and the Alexandrian nobles listened in complete silence. The tension in the room was so thick that you could practically cut it with a knife.
"Boy, this feels like a state funeral... I really hope it doesn't turn into one..." Zidane thought as he studied the somber faces of the guests, keeping his composure with practiced self-assurance.
"Over the last 72 hours, our capital city has come under a coordinated attack from a Trenoite task force, Burmecian smugglers, and Alexandrian collaborators. The goal was to behead our kingdom by killing off the royal family, and the culprits behind this cowardly act of war are none other than Margaret Bishop, Treno's current ruler, and Ulrich Fritjoffson, regent of Burmecia and murderer of its rightful king, Lord Puck," the queen stated calmly and confidently, despite the unreadable glares she was getting from most of the nobles. Freya swallowed hard upon hearing Puck's name, but she kept calm.
Several hands were raised among the crowd.
"Lady Seraphina?" Garnet said, giving the old warrior a chance to speak.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but we're talking about nothing less than regicide! Do we have any proof that Regent Fritjoffson killed Lord Puck?"
"Actually, we do. Freya Crescent, here present with us, witnessed the assassination firsthand. That's why Ulrich has put a substantial bounty on her head," the queen replied, gesturing toward the dragoon. "Lord Magnus?"
"How do we know she's telling the truth?" the strategist asked, crossing his arms. "I know Lady Crescent was a key ally to us during the Mist War, but according to my sources, she's shown erratic behavior over the past few years, culminating in the regrettable incident at the tavern last month."
Freya clenched her teeth but held back, exchanging discreet glances with Zidane, who gestured for her to be patient.
"Don't get me wrong," Magnus added, pressing for a reaction. "I'm not questioning Lady Crescent's honesty, but rather the soundness of her judgment, especially considering her... struggles with alcohol."
Garnet clenched her fists, and Lady Seraphina turned her head to intervene, but it was Jinn herself who decided to speak for the first time since her arrival.
"Would you explain to us, Lord Magnus, why, if you had the resources to invade our guest's privacy in such a way, you chose to do so instead of watching the border with Treno? Which, by the way, is your responsibility," the masked noble said, rhythmically tapping her fingers on the arm of her seat. "Because, if the rumors are true, an entire fleet of Trenoite ships passed right through your airspace on their way to the capital as easily as a hot knife through butter... Or did you let them in deliberately?"
Magnus raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Ah, Lady Jinn, I was wondering if you would grace us with the sound of your voice at some point," he retorted, every word dripping with sarcasm. "Especially considering your territory borders Burmecia, from where, according to the queen, part of the invasion force came completely unobstructed. At least our fleet was outgunned and out-teched by the enemy forces, and yet we still forced them to retreat before they reached the capital. What's your excuse?"
"Outgunned? Please. You were outplayed," Jinn laughed humorlessly, turning away from him. "Recreants always whine about being overwhelmed when the truth is they're simply not up to any real task. If it wasn't for Regent Cid's timely intervention, you wouldn't have scored a single kill."
"If you're going to witlessly mock the sacrifices we've made, then at least have the decency to answer my question first," Magnus replied as his expression tensed up and his icy facade began to crack.
"I would…" Jinn began, looking at him condescendingly, "But I fear the truth would be lost on one such as yourself."
"Is no one going to question this woman's refusal to comply with a simple request?" Magnus exclaimed, looking at the other nobles for support.
"Enough!" Garnet thundered. "Lady Jinn has an alibi, and besides, she's been helping us better understand who the conspirators behind this plot are, and has secured solid evidence of their involvement."
Zidane glanced at Eiko and nodded. The princess of Lindblum stood up, holding a stack of papers in her arms, and began distributing them to those present.
"These are duplicates of some of the documents we recovered from a smuggler base near the Burmecian border. They were encrypted, but we managed to decipher most of them," she explained as she handed out the copies to the nobles. "The machines that attacked the capital were brought underground to Alexandria using Gargants, and originate from a clandestine military complex in the far west of Burmecia, referred to by the locals as Iron Mountain."
Lady Jinn cleared her throat.
"After the queen contacted us following the attack on the capital, I personally led the rescue mission that cleared the monsters from the smugglers' outpost access and extracted the survivors from the Wind Rose's crash site," the masked noble dispassionately added. "We descended into those caves and found what remained of their stash. Much of the material had been torched by the smugglers themselves or damaged beyond repair by the creatures that turned the place into their nest, but we found enough information to pinpoint several names and addresses."
"Becker... Schmidt... Wagner..." Lady Evangeline read aloud, her brow furrowing more and more. "These surnames... it's hard to believe, and yet it doesn't surprise me..."
"Indeed, three of Alexandria's patrician families are involved in trafficking golems from Burmecia to our kingdom's capital, which were activated during the invasion attempt," Garnet explained.
"We all knew the Beckers or the Schmidts were one step away from siding with Treno against the crown. This only confirms our suspicions," Lady Jinn stated. "Even if Lord Magnus could use some manners, I must admit that he's right on one thing; my ignorance of the existence of those tunnels has costed us way too many Alexandrian lives, and to make up for it, I've unconditionally put all of my clan's resources at Her Majesty's disposition."
"Finally, some self-criticism!" Magnus commented, causing Seraphina to shoot a downright murderous glare his way.
"For the last time, boy, you will watch your tone in front of the queen, or I'll make you shut up," she growled, wrapping her fist around the hilt of her arming sword.
"Oh, don't misunderstand me, milady," the tactician nonchalantly responded. "I'm more than willing to throw my support behind this cause... as long as an example is made of those collaborateurs."
"Much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Magnus on that last point, Your Majesty..." Evangeline supported the motion with a stern gesture. "We've shown these traitors mercy in the past, and look how they've repaid us."
The queen drew a deep breath, steeling herself to make a promise she dreaded, one from which she knew there would be no turning back.
"I know. Those who willingly collaborated with the enemy, regardless of their origin or station, will be judged and executed for high treason according to the laws of this kingdom," she declared, and the room filled with murmurs of approval.
"What about these... war machines?" Cedrica greedily asked. "There's a rumor they can be controlled..."
"Those machines you speak of are alive," Zidane intercepted the question, producing the heart of one of the automatons that had attacked Alexandria. "Behold, the power core that fueled one of them. What lies at its center is one of the foulest war crimes this nation has ever witnessed; a living soul, crystallized and in perpetual agony, forcibly ripped from a sentient being and compelled to murder against its will."
Lady Evangeline gasped in horror, while Cedrica had to fight the urge to vomit. Seraphina, Magnus and Jinn maintained their composure, although their body language betrayed how disturbed they were by the existence of such an artifact.
"Your Majesty... how... how do you know all of this?" Lady Evangeline asked, still in shock.
"Because the Burmecian secret service, the Jäggers, have split up, and a faction loyal to Freya Crescent raided one of the warehouses where these war machines were being stored before the invasion," Garnet explained. "They were instrumental in alerting us to Ulrich and Bishop's plans, and the intel they provided played a pivotal role in thwarting their attack on the capital."
The room buzzed with murmurs again.
"Lady Crescent..." Magnus's voice rose above the ruckus, causing an immediate hush. "In light of this new information, I believe an apology for my earlier rudeness is in order. Your aid in safeguarding our kingdom is… much appreciated."
"Finally... some self-criticism," muttered Jinn under her breath, barely loud enough for Magnus to hear her, though this time he didn't take the bait.
While Freya remained angry about the clan leader's initial accusations, and she didn't want to take credit for Mikoto's actions (despite the scientist's preference for anonymity), she knew that the most conducive path to the salvation of both kingdoms was to forge alliances wherever possible, so she accepted the apology with a courteous nod.
"Very well. Given that the situation is far more complex and delicate than we imagined, and that Ulrich and Bishop's technology represents a threat not only to our kingdom, but to sentient life at large, I believe I speak for everyone here when I ask what your orders are, Your Majesty," Lady Seraphina said with conviction, and none of the other nobles objected to her statement, reigniting the hope in the Alexandrian queen's heart.
"The Regency of Lindblum stands behind your cause, Queen Garnet," Cid announced, taking the nobles aback; they hadn't anticipated direct involvement from another nation in the impending battle. "The distinguished 4th aerial division, pride of our fleet, is ready to offer you assistance."
The royal couple smirked ever so lightly; against all odds, their plan was working.
"Right now, a turf war is being fought in the streets of the capital. The rebels aim to blockade the city, likely to stall for their allies' arrival, but our loyal troops are doing their best to hamper their efforts," Zidane explained, gesturing at the map of the kingdom upon the central table.
"They're facing overwhelming odds, cut off and spread thin. Without immediate reinforcements, they'll be overwhelmed soon. As much as I despise the idea of engaging our enemies in such a crowded area, we can't let them gain a stable foothold in the city." Garnet added, moving the miniatures representing their combined forces atop the map like a chess master performing her play. "We will march into the capital with overwhelming force at once, and this is how we will do it."
20:30
After the assembly died down, the clan leaders scattered into the winds aboard their airships, heading to their respective lands. Some would lead their forces to the kingdom's borders to halt the enemy's advance, while others would march at dawn with their troops toward the kingdom's capital to subdue the insurgents. The chessboard was set; nothing remained but to win the game.
After bidding the nobles farewell, Garnet decided to talk to Freya in private, especially after the altercation with Magnus. She found her in her cabin aboard the Gaia One, readying her gear for the battle to come.
"May I come in?" she asked, knocking softly on the already open hatch door.
"Garnet! Of course, sure," the surprised dragoon replied, placing the Dragon Hair against a wall. "How can I help you?"
Garnet took a chair and sat down in tense silence. Freya followed suit.
"Freya… I know you won't like this, but I'm here to ask you to leave for Burmecia tonight."
The knight blinked dumbly at Garnet for a moment.
"You what...?"
"You heard correctly. Amarant has sent us a coded message from Burmecia through our undercover agents in Melda Arch. The Partisans will attack Iron Mountain in two days," explained the queen. "They plan to publicly expose whatever they find there. The confusion will give you the perfect opening to challenge Ulrich."
"Let me get this straight… you're asking me to abandon you in your time of greatest need… even though I owe you my life several times over," the dragon knight interrupted her.
"No, I'm asking you to save not only Burmecia, but the entire continent, now that you have a real chance to do so," responded Garnet firmly. "We both know that tomorrow, among the ranks of the rebels, there will be several Burmecians still loyal to Ulrich. If you stain your hands with their blood, discrediting him will be much harder, even with the support of the Gods."
"But... what will happen with Lani if I leave now?" Freya asked. "Not to boast, but her Magitek augmentations have made her utterly unstoppable. If something were to happen, and I were away..."
"I've already spoken with Mikoto. She will take her to her lab at the Black Mage Village tonight. If someone finds Lani here, I won't be able to save her from the gallows," stated the queen without hesitation. "You will leave with Eiko for Burmecia in two hours, where you will meet up with Brynhild. She will take you to the Partisans' base."
"But, Garnet, what if for some reason Zidane loses control again?" Freya insisted. "I've seen him in action, and his powers have already surpassed Kuja's! The only other thing that could stop him right now is an Eidolon, and not without a ton of collateral damage."
"Freya, please… do it for Puck, for Wulfweard, for Haagen, for all the lives those bastards destroyed to amass their power," Garnet kept pushing as her eyes welled up; Lady Jinn had just told her in private that most of the Wind Rose's crew had perished in the explosion, including the faithful Pluto Knight who was nearing his retirement when the bomb detonated aboard the doomed airship.
The names of the dead cut Freya deeper than any blade. She looked away, crossed her arms, and took a deep breath.
"... I'll come back with help as soon as I can. You have my word, old friend," she finally promised after a moment of silent contemplation.
"No one else on this continent could broker true peace between our peoples. I know you will," the queen replied gently, taking her friend's hands in hers.
Freya shuddered as she felt the toll that Ulrich's attempt on her life had taken on the queen's once immaculate skin. The sensation brought back to her mind the conversation they had had over tea just a few weeks ago. Garnet had asked her if she had what it took to lead a kingdom, and she had responded by showing the queen her scars. Now that they both shared that as well, she realized how childish her response had been at that moment; the scars that would truly prove her mettle were the ones that would come next.
In the depths of the fortress, two silent figures, barely illuminated by oil lamps, spent their time in blissful ignorance while outside, the drums of war already roared deafeningly for those who could hear them. Suddenly, the room lit up as the door opened, and a third silhouette awkwardly joined the scene.
"Adelbert..?" the newcomer asked, and the Pluto Knight, who was still lying unconscious with Beatrix by his bedside, woke from his tumultuous dream upon hearing the king's voice.
"Zidane..? Is that you..?" he inquired, making a great effort to sit up.
"Calm down, love... slowly," Beatrix hastened to assist her husband, who had come dreadfully close to ending up paralyzed for life when Zidane broke his spine in the castle tower.
"Where are we..? What happened..?" the knight asked, completely disoriented.
"We're in the Birdcage, Rusty," the Genome somberly stated. "Garnet and Bea brought you here after... you know."
Steiner squinted as he reminisced. The brutal confrontation with a Tranced-out Zidane soon emerged from among his memories.
"Yes... now I remember," he said with a surprising amount of restraint given the torrent of conflicting emotions and challenging questions raging within his chest. "How long have I been out?"
"A day," Beatrix replied, stroking his tousled hair.
"Was anyone else injured in the fight?"
"No. Only you," Zidane replied, increasingly crestfallen. "It's a long story, but… while you were recovering, Freya found a way to cure my… condition. It will never happen again."
Steiner raised both eyebrows, feeling that there was something even more suspicious about Zidane's story than its miraculous resolution.
"Wait a moment... did you just mention the Birdcage?!" the knight blurted out, finally realizing what had been bugging him all along. "Why are we here?!"
Zidane sighed.
"Bishop's forces attacked the castle again. It wasn't safe for any of us to be there anymore," he responded, knowing that the knight would be furious once he found out that his answer barely qualified as a half-truth.
"What do you mean they attacked the castle?! Is everyone okay?!" Steiner erupted, trying to get out of bed, although he immediately gave up as a brutal surge of pain knocked him flat on his back.
"Adelbert, please, take it easy!" Beatrix insisted, gently taking his hand to help him calm down. "You can't make any sudden movements yet."
Zidane rubbed his face with his hand, deeply ashamed of the consequences of his weakness.
"Rusty, listen... I know I've let you down. I've let everyone down. You have no idea how sorry I am," apologized the king, kneeling by Steiner's bedside with a respect and reverence that he rarely showed to anyone. "... But this time, I mean it when I say I'm cured, and I'm going to use this new lease on life to make things right."
After pondering his words for a moment, Steiner's stern face gradually softened, and trading an unusual gesture for another, he gently patted the shoulder of the man who had given him the chance to serve a truly righteous king.
"Please, rise, Your Majesty," said the knight, halfway between sincerity and harmless mockery. "Leave the floor for those who deserve to be prostrate."
Zidane looked up, and as he rose to his feet, his lips curled into his signature goofy grin.
23:30
A cool breeze drifted through the evening, blowing Garnet's loose hair over her face and causing it to stick to her damp cheeks. It was a cool night; she normally might have even found it cold, but she barely noticed. Instead, with a steadying breath, she gently brushed the ebony strands away from her eyes and looked up at the sky. War was not unfamiliar to her by any means, but leading an army into her beloved home city? Slaughtering fellow Alexandrians, no matter how traitorous they were? Could she even do this?
She clenched her fists against the railing and shook her head. This wasn't the time to wallow in self-pity; she had to be strong. Everything and everyone was counting on her being strong, so she had no choice but to bear it.
"There you are," Zidane spoke softly, chuckling as Garnet jumped slightly. "You know, I still think you could have made an excellent thief because you weren't easy to track down. I wonder if anyone else knows how to access this room."
Despite herself and all the stress she was dealing with, Garnet found herself holding back an incredulous laugh. "Is that so?"
"Yup," he answered, joining her at the railing and looking at her with a small grin. "By the way, good job getting those rear-echelon motherfuckers to cooperate. We should add 'Bureaucrat Tamer' to your already impressive list of titles.
Garnet smiled through teary eyes. "How do you always manage to do that?" she asked, still not turning towards him.
"You mean coming up with shitty jokes?"
"No; always finding something positive about our current situation. Even when all seems lost, you still don't let it get to you… and here I am…" Garnet sighed, staring into the pitch black horizon. "I'm supposed to keep it together when things go to shit. Instead, I'm out here falling apart. I.." she trailed off as Zidane moved closer and pulled her into an embrace.
"Do you really think I'm that blindly optimistic?" He asked, catching her off guard.
The queen looked up at him and met his stone-cold gaze. She was taken aback; she had expected to find him smiling as he almost always did. Instead, she was met with one of the most jarringly serious expressions she had ever seen on his face. "Zidane..?"
"Do you really think I'm stronger than you?" He pressed on.
"Well, I-"
Zidane didn't let her answer this time.
"The truth is, you're stronger than I'll ever be. That became quite clear to me during these last few months," he added, piercing her soul with his icy blue eyes. "Yeah, sometimes I can keep it together when things get real bad, but without you I can barely do anything meaningful most of the time."
Garnet broke the embrace.
"Come on… we both know that's not true, you shameless flatterer," she dismissed his claims with a wry chuckle.
"Hey… just because you need someone to lean on from time to time doesn't change the fact you're the strongest woman I've ever met," Zidane added, leaning on the railing next to her. "Maybe you can't do it all on your own, but you don't have to. That's what your friends are for. That's what I'm for."
Garnet remained silent for a moment, her fractured porcelain visage twisted into a tense scowl.
"This is not a matter of simple strength, Zid! I've done things as a queen that I'm not proud of, but this… I don't even know if we're doing the right thing!"
"Yes, but unfortunately, it has to be done," the king stated. "The enemy is no longer at the gates but in our own house, kidnapping our family to turn them into mechanical monsters. We'll have to carry this burden for the rest of our lives, but we can't shirk the responsibility of stopping them before they raze the whole continent to the ground."
"This is my burden to bear, Zidane, not yours. You don't have to do this," said Garnet, clenching her jaw to hold back the tears. "This is gonna be the battle of Zamo Basin all over again. I almost lost you back then; I'm not letting that happen again."
Her husband smiled.
"Look… pretty much all the good things I've ever accomplished were all because you were there for me, so let me be here for you now," he said as he gently grabbed her arms, and this time, the queen didn't try to push away, her breathing shallow as he stayed locked in her gaze. "Dagger… I love you… and I-"
The rest of what he might have said was forgotten as her lips crashed into his. The kiss lingered, quickly growing more intense until finally they broke for air. As he met her gaze once again, it became obvious that his hunger and yearning for her were rivaled only by hers.
Not wasting any time, he locked lips with her again.
Losing control, he pushed her against the stone wall, more roughly than he had intended, but the queen didn't let up for even an instant. He planted a row of kisses down her neck as she frantically pulled at his belt, and he returned the favor by giving a few quick tugs to her dress until it ended up hanging loosely around her midriff.
With most of their clothes out of the way, the lovers melted into an undulating swirl of pleasure, losing themselves fully in each other.
"Gods, how I've missed you..." Zidane whispered as he began to pick up his pace.
Garnet gasped in response, moving her hips in time with his as he drove into her.
"Show me..!" she panted, digging her nails into his back.
With a devilish grin, he lifted her away from the wall and fully into his arms. "Was that a challenge?" He breathed, maneuvering her inside and throwing her on an antique bed before climbing back on top of her.
"No. it's an order from your queen," She retorted with a savage grin, her hair fanning out like a dark halo.
No one slept that night in Alexandria.