[FFIX] The Queen and Her Bandit

The Queen and Her Bandit


The evening has begun to fade to darkness, the overwhelming activities of the day finally beginning to cease. The crowds of town folk watching the unfolding scene of the performance for the Queen and everything that came along with it has created buzz throughout the town, leaving citizens at peace and joyous with their own lives.

Queen Garnet never once saw it coming.

Zidane was dead. After all they fought through, ending all of the chaos left in the wake of their quest to defeat Kuja, the misguided man who was seemingly set on the wrong path with his intoxicating amount of power.

At least, everyone thought Zidane was dead.

The friends back at Tantalus knew better. They had been through enough in their crews existence to know that Zidane was not a man to simply give up in the wake of death.

So, they waited.

And waited.

And even waited some more.

Eventually, he casually strolled into their hideout in Lindblum, only a few minor scuffs and bruises to be seen on his pale complexion.

The celebration was rather simple. There was no ludicrous party or jubilant gathering of friends and towns people to rejoice in his return.

No, not in the slightest, for that matter.

It was simply a tip of the cap, a few thumbs up and smiles all around. Baku, of course, gave him a rather unnecessarily hard pound on the back for his delayed return from battle, but nonetheless, it was purely out in a his own caring manner of showing some relief.

Then, it was back to work.

With only a week until the next showing of 'I Want to Be Your Canary' in Alexandria, the six of them all coming to a mutual understanding.

“Zidane, you know you will be taking over Blank's role in the lead spot, correct?” Baku bluntly tossed that out at the beginning of their final week.

Zidane stared at him blankly for all but a quick moment, coming to a rather exciting revelation. With a pound of his fist into his other open palm, he rather unwisely replied.

“Of course! I don't believe I sustained a brain injury before coming here. Am I right in saying that, old man?”

And yet again, as Zidane never once learned to keep his ego in check, a massive fist blasted him over the back of his head, leaving him spiraling down to the ground with a groan of instant regret. With laughter from the likes of Blank, Ruby, Cinna and Marcus sinking down into his mind, he finally had a peaking moment into what could be done to make the night special.

And now, this is the time where everything finally came together.

The execution of the play was tremendously well set up and planned to perfection. The final reveal, the grand finale so to speak; it was just unparalleled in the already heightened excitement of the fading crimson evening.

As Zidane pulled off his charcoal colored costume, there was an overpowering sense of shock in the crowd. There were screams and hearts nearly stopping in vast quantities, including one heart that decided against the rest.

It was Garnet's.

It didn't stop or even slow down. In fact, it picked up in pace, almost creating an uneven rhythm that would be deemed unhealthy by most physicians in the castle and town.

As she sprinted down, leaving her crown and jewels in her trail, embracing Zidane with all of the might she had left in her body, the climax of the night was upon them.

And now, the night rolls on further into blackness, the only remaining light emanating from the streets. Lit up with dim shades of yellow and orange, the life of the town dulls to a quiet roar, the only true remaining noise and noticeable life raging on in the various pubs and a select few restaurants.

The castle has fallen asleep. Steiner and Beatrix stand guard by the main entrance for their final five minutes of duty before the shift switches to lighter protection.

And here, walking side by side up the cobblestone street that leads to the palace are two young people.

A boy and a girl.

A Queen and her bandit.

Garnet and Zidane approached the castle gates with high spirits, laughter and the occasional tap on the shoulder for a rather crude joke the main signs of life from the pair. Upon reaching the gate, the two guards raise their arms out to block entrance into the confines, leaving Zidane with an unamused expression.

Of course, it's not directed at Beatrix.

No, absolutely not.

It directly meets Steiner as he returns the favor, a bout of playfulness building up in his rather bulky build.

“Where do you think you are going with Queen Garnet, boy?”

The glare of a trickster meets his statement, leaving Steiner in a stage of mental preparation for the inevitable onslaught of sarcastic comedy.

He was used to it by now.

Yet, it never came.

Garnet placed her arms across her chest, taking the first opportunity to respond in defense of Zidane.

“Steiner, please. Is this honestly the time you've deemed 'appropriate' for the redemption of a past rivalry?” Beatrix held back her own laughter. She knew Steiner's games by now; and this certainly was a time where he may regret playing one.

Steiner grinned rather devilishly, his eyes still deadlocked with Zidane's.

“Can I trust you?” He raised an eyebrow, the expression still spread across his face.

Zidane joined Garnet with his arms crossing over his chest, squinting both of his eyes and moving his face uncomfortably close to Steiner's.

“What do you mean by that?! We all fought alongside each other for how long, and yet you still don't trust me!” He used his usual loud demeanor with him, keeping his glare locked and loaded. “You really can be disgraceful to humans everywhere, Rusty, I'll tell ya'.”

Steiner grimaced as Beatrix busted out with a bout of giggling, leaving Garnet in her own set of girlish laughter as well.

He cleared his throat, finally waving the white flag at the pure ego shattering display that was just used against him.

“W...Well, I mean, you kidnapped her the last time I left you two alone in the castle, so-”

“Steiner! Enough of this!” Beatrix attempted to speak properly in a rather unsuccessful manner, her speech occasionally being left chopped with bits of escaping laughter in between. “Let the young man and her Majesty have some alone time. I'm sure the two of them have a fair amount to catch up on.”

With a disappointed nod from Steiner and an eager bow from her, the two guards reached behind them and pushed the doorway open, standing at attention as Garnet and Zidane passed between them. Before they disappeared into the corridor leading to the Queen's quarters, Steiner called out.

“Zidane!” The two paused in their steps, turning around and facing the other couple that stood opposite of them, the two protectors' hands clasped together. Steiner couldn't hold back a smile as he began to turn away, ready to head out for a night on the town.

“Welcome back. I hope you stay around for a good while longer this time.”

Zidane laughed in response, tossing the plated man two thumbs up.

“Glad you've come to your senses, Rusty. Enjoy your evening.”

Steiner fumed as the two kids ran off, laughing all the way up the stairs as he furiously yelled and was retained by his own love.

“You little deviant! It's Steiner, you hear me! Steiner!”

The anger faded into the distance behind Zidane and Garnet as they slowed to a casual pace, heading through various sets of stairs and weaving their way up into the Queen's chamber.

As the two entered the room, Garnet was met by the sight of her crown and jeweled necklace resting neatly on her nightstand, with a note left behind on top of it.

Zidane looked at her with curiosity as she picked up the piece of paper, his hands folded behind the back of his head.

“What's it say, Dagger?”

Garnet cleared her throat, reading the lines aloud for the two of them to hear.

“'Your Majesty: Please be more careful with the staple of your leadership. We all know Zidane is an exciting young fellow, but I'm not entirely sure if you were smart in leaving your prized possessions in the hands of Tantalus. Then again, I said 'not entirely sure' for a reason. Have fun with the lad. We'll be around for the two of you tomorrow so that you may make a return visit to Lindblum for the day. Gracefully, Baku.'”

The two of them grinned with satisfaction, Zidane more relieved with the fact that Baku hadn't already taken the two priceless possessions and selling them through his many available fences.

“What a nice gesture of your father figure, Zidane. Maybe your kindness is rubbing off on him.” She jabbed her finger into his stomach, leaving him reeling in surprise as he is forced out of a zone.

He rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment as she giggled her way over to him, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him. Caught by surprise, he did not return the gesture for a moment, before finally coming to his senses.

'It's been a long week,' he thought to himself.

Garnet kept a decent gap between her face and his, running her hand through the hair on the back of his head.

Her eyes glistened in moonlight as it poured through the window, the only true source of light beyond a small candle on the nightstand off to their side.

“I waited for you,” she started, her voice as gentle as the movement of her her hand behind his head. “I waited without giving up hope that you may have returned to me. And here you are, leaving me speechless with so much that I have yet to say...”

She looked down in search for a way to continue, but alas, it was to no avail. Zidane gave her a smile as he picked her chin up, forcing her to keep eye contact with him.

“You kept faith in me, Dagger. After all that we went through together, I think it's fair to say I was struggling to find myself as something that you all felt truly connected to. I felt like a piece of a puzzle that couldn't find a place. Yet, here I am, being looked at like a hero, ya' know? It feels really surreal, to say the least.”

Garnet frowned at his negativity, escalating her point by removing her arms from around him and crossing them over her bosom.

“Zidane, you were as much a part of us as anyone else. We were all equals; even if you really never connected with the likes of Quina or Steiner, for example. There was a link between the two of us. Could you not feel it?” She stepped forward, taking her index finger and tracing it up his stomach and landing right on his heart.

“This thing, right here, is where we connected.” She took a hold of his hand, bringing it up to her own chest and placing it over her own rapid beating heart. “Did you not feel that as well?”

He smiled at her, taking her hand in his and leading her towards the door out of the chamber. Out of surprise, Garnet spoke up, asking him a simple question.

“Where are we going?”

His voice has a relaxed edge to it, a soothing reassurance being sent back to her in response.

“You'll see.”

Winding through the decorated hallways of the palace, Zidane finally managed to weave his way to an all too familiar winding staircase, leading upwards.

“Why are we going up here?” She was a bit confused yet, an immense lack of sleep and the rush of pure adrenaline that had overcome her earlier finally beginning to take their hold on her body.

The pair finally reached the top and pushed their way through the door, the crisp night air relieving some pressure of earlier events in the day.

Zidane let go of Garnet's hand, stepping forward to a small terrace.

That's when it hit her.

“I remember hearing you singing up here. I came up here for a closer look, and when I had actually come to the realization that it was your voice...” His voice had trailed off, leaving him to his thoughts for a moment. His eyes had wandered off into the town below, following the trail of lights up the road that ran through the center.

“Sometimes I wonder if that's where I felt it for the first time.”

She looked at him, her mind piqued with interest.
“What did you feel?”

He shrugged, almost confused as to how to explain in words what had been going on.

“I don't know. You could say it was love, maybe. I just remember my heart beating faster with each step that I had taken towards your voice, and I never had the guts to actually admit it to you.” He laughed at his own self sense of weakness. “Can you believe it? A bandit not having the guts to do something. It's unheard of.”

She took a few steps forward to reach him, turning him around to face him.

The two stared into each others eyes for a long period of time, no words being spoken on either end. At last, Garnet spoke up.

“Do you really mean it?”

“Do I really mean what?”

“Do you really mean... do you really mean that you love me?”

He turned his head up to the ink colored sky above, speckled with the lights of stars and the moon. He felt confused, as if the word was foreign to him.

But he knew, in that moment, that was it.

He finally turned his head back down, looking back into her focused eyes with a wide, yet embarrassed smile spanning from cheek to cheek.

“I think so. Actually, no. I'm sure of it.” Her eyes lit up, her pearly white teeth showing as she embraced him as tight as ever before.

And then, it was as if a pair of fireworks went off.

Garnet pulled him down and pushed her lips against his. Zidane was at a loss for words, just opting to go with what felt good.

To him, this is what had been feeling good.

After a deep, almost longing display of passion from the two, they finally split apart, their foreheads staying connected.

Both of them had equally big smiles, but it the more difficult thing to gauge was which was more embarrassed by what had just transpired.

A long moment of silence fell over the two newly proclaimed lovers. Then, breaking the tension between the two, Garnet locked her hand with his and led him back through the corridors of the castle, heading back for the Queen's quarters.

Closing the door behind them, Zidane turned and faced Garnet, who had already hopped underneath the covers of her bed. She patted the space beside her, causing Zidane to hesistate.

“Are you sure this is alright?” He questioned her as her cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. “What's going to happen when Steiner and Beatrix come around for your wake up call?”

She shrugged, putting on an exhausted smile.

“I honestly do not care one bit what happens. We're not doing anything close to what they have done together.”

This caused a burst of laughter between the two, leaving Zidane in near stitches as he crawled into bed by her side. As he adjusted himself into a comfortable position, Garnet moved up to his side, clinging on to his body and using part of his shoulder as a pillow.

“You know, Zidane, I don't think you should do a lot of adventuring away from me anymore.”

He groaned, remembering back to his days of freedom with his family in Tantalus.

“But-”

“That's an order, not a request. Would you truly deny an order from your lovely queen?”

She batted her eyelashes at him, attempting to hold back yet another round of laughter. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips, finally ceding victory to her.

“You win this time, Dagger.”

She stroked his hair as the two of them lay in a perfect silence, allowing the most wonderful slumber take hold of their bodies.