(no subject)
Who: Glenn, Garnet
What: Revelation
When: Sometime after this thread.
Where: Glenn's airship
Rating: G
It wasn't true...it couldn't be. There was no way the truth was so horrible...
Garnet shut her phone after muttering a good-bye to the person on the other end of the line. The one who had called had been Steiner, one of her most trusted and beloved people she grew up with. The man had been a complete wreck from the sound of it, and his words had been jumbled together. Still, their message was clear: Queen Brahne was dead. From the look of it, an assassin had stolen into the castle and murdered her as she slept.
The princess bowed her head as she leaned on the table in her room. Her hands balled into fists, nails making white marks on her palms. What was she supposed to do now? She had left the kingdom to find a cure for the virus, but had ultimately failed her mother. She failed her kingdom. How was she supposed to face the people of Alexandria? How was she supposed to lead them when she was still so inexperienced? Yes, the people loved her, but that wouldn't excuse her ineptitude at the crown.
"What am I going to do...?" she said softly, her voice ending in a sob. She buried her face in her arms on the table and wept into them, soaking the fabric of her blouse.
Today had not gone as well as Glenn could hope, what with nearly getting killed by several more hunters after telling his tale of his fight against Sephiroth. The thought continued to make him frown when Dagger had to constantly heal him while he had went overboard using his newfound wind magic. Anger had settled in, but he was determined not to let that get to him, not tonight. Speaking of the night, the stars were all lit across the sky beautifully, and such a scenery made him forget every troubled
thought in his head. Leaning against the railing of his proud airship, he smiled at the sight of it all.
Shrugging, he stopped his sightseeing for the moment, figuring Dagger might enjoy such a thing. Perhaps dinner in the sky as well? With the proper preparations, he might get everything settled. Walking down the steps below, he finally stopped in front of her door. He raised his hand to knock, but a sob managed to reach his ears. He cocked an eyebrow, and his face became plagued with concern. Was it something he did?
Standing out in the open like an idiot wasn’t going to solve anything, so he rapped the door with his hand. “Dagger? Is everything alright?”
She jumped a bit as the knocked sounded and Glenn's voice called to her from the other side of the door. Standing up, Garnet rubbed her eyes quickly to hide her tears, but doing so did very little in actuality. Her eyes were still red and her breaths came out in little hiccups. She figured she must look awful.
"I...I am fine, Glenn. I am alright." she said, her voice wavering through the lie. She knew there was no way he would believe that. Part of her wanted him to leave so he couldn't possibly see her cry, but the other half wanted him to be there, wanted to cry on him. He would let her, she was sure, but troubling him was the last thing she wanted to do.
Glenn knew most lies when he heard them, and the wind told him its fair share of the situation. On top of that, he had always dealt with sobbing girls in the past, and this was such a predictable answer. Pushing her might be a dangerous move, but Dagger had proven she was far from the wicked inferno that was Kid. “I know you’re lying, Dagger. How about you just open up and talk to me about it? What do you say?”
Elation or despair? Which was she supposed to feel since he'd seen through her? She supposed the former with just a bit of the latter. That might work, yes. Garnet moved to the door and opened it slowly. Before Glenn could even say anything more, she hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest. She sobbed against him like a child, clearly not ashamed even though the behavior was very undignified for a princess. She didn't need dignity, she reasoned, all she needed was right in front of her.
Glenn gasped at the sight of her. She had been crying for some time apparently. Her once beautiful and angelic face had now been stained with such sadness that it broke his heart to see her suffer. And before he could mutter his concern towards her, she had embraced him, and he nearly fell from the sudden hug. Slowly, his arms wrapped around Dagger’s form, holding her close. Odds were it would take some time for her to even talk and explain, but he could wait. It may ruin his new shirt, but he could wait.
He patted her back gently. “It’s alright, Dagger. Just let all your emotions out…”
Familiar warmth closed in on her, and with his permission she freely cried onto his shirt. Her hands slid up his back, fingers bunching up the fabric in their grip. She couldn't bear to be even an inch away from him, from that warmth he so freely gave. No, she needed it too much to simply let go. Garnet let everything, her sorrow, her pain, her anguish, leave in the form of the water of her eyes. Slowly the tears stopped flowing, but still her shoulders shook in his grip. A steady sigh escaped her lips as she finally settled down.
"I...I'm so sorry, Glenn. I must worry you so terribly..." she said quietly, her forehead still pressed on his collar.
The Dragoon could feel every ounce of pain through the tears she shed. He continued to pat her back comfortingly, holding her closer, trying to tell her that she was safe with him. “It’s alright. I think I do it more to you though. So what happened?”
She paused, not knowing how to reply to that. There was really so much to say, yet she couldn't say too much. Or...could she tell him everything? She tilted her head up to look at him. Seeing the worry in his eyes only sent more pangs of guilt through her chest. Yes, she had to say it, though of course with great tact. She pulled away from him slightly, though still close enough to hold his hand, and led him into her room. Once the door was shut behind them, she finally cleared her throat to speak.
"I...I learned a short while ago that...my queen has died. An assassin snuck in during the night and..." her voice trailed off as she held back another sob. She swallowed down the lump in her throat to continue. "The entire castle is in a panic, and they're trying to keep it hidden from the public."
The Dragoon gasped at the sudden news. No wonder she had been sobbing for so long. He sat down on the bed, guiding his companion to it with no ill thoughts. His mind didn’t even attempt to go there, and only focused on Dagger. His anger however did not elude him, and his fist shook with rage. All their effort had been for naught, and letting a good queen die like that. While if she had been suffering, some might have considered it to be a release from suffering, but this wasn’t right.
“The assassin…where is he? Perhaps we can hunt him down.” Of course his words had been far too focused on punishing rather than helping, one fact he needed to learn right now.
"The knights thought like that too. They looked everywhere," she said, shaking her head a little, "But he was long gone by the time they found her."
She hugged onto the dragoon's arm as they sat on the bed and laid her head on his shoulder. He was so comforting, her only pillar of support, and mostly without even trying, it seemed. Perhaps she could take him back to Alexandria with her. Her mind was snapped back to reality with that thought. She would be required to return home now to rule in her mother's stead. Glenn would have to find that out before she left. She couldn't just abandon him.
The frown deepened on Glenn’s face. So the killer got away while everyone suffered? No, he couldn’t accept something like that. He hated it more than anything…But as Dagger laid her head on his shoulder, he took a deep breath, calming himself down. Anger wouldn’t solve anything, and it definitely wasn’t going to help his friend. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer to him. He stared into her eyes, the familiar sorrow was there, but there was something else, something he had seen all too often in his life, especially after he had lost his own family.
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” he absently muttered out loud.
"I..." The look in his eyes froze her to the spot. He called her out on it again, so she definitely had to come clean. Well, at least she knew it a little beforehand. Garnet looked downward at her lap where her fingers clenched together tightly to hide her nervousness. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest, and it was so loud she could have sworn he might hear it too. Again she willed her nerves to quiet down. "I...I'm not lying, before you ask. What I'm going to say is the truth so...please believe me."
Glenn nodded, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze, and smiled warmly at the nervous Dagger. Faintly were the heartbeats coming from her, matching the dread expression on her face. He hated seeing her in so much pain. “You can trust me with anything. I’m positive you had a good reason, especially if tears as those were able to tred down that angelic face of yours.”
Oh gods, his smile was contagious. Just looking at him made her smile, if the slowly vanishing frown on her face was any indication. She returned the smile, though it was a small one, and held one of his hands in both of hers. His hands were so much bigger than her own, and were so warm and inviting. Yes, she could be honest with him. They had been traveling together for a long enough time that she could tell him how she felt without ever having to say a word, and vice versa. He could only help her, not hurt her. It seemed strange at all for this pure-hearted person to even fathom negative feelings toward anyone, especially her.
And yet the nervous tickle in her belly wouldn't die down.
"I...I am actually Queen Brahne's...daughter," she said. With each word that came forth from her lips, her confidence built up more and more. There was no longer a turnback point. "I am Princess Garnet, next in line to rule Alexandria, and a summoner. My title as Dagger the White Mage...was just an alias so I could find the source of the virus."
The jaw of the Dragoon dropped beyond his control, and his shoulders slumped in the exact moment his lips did. He was no stranger to having secrets kept from him. Most of the time, he was the one withholding information, such as the time Serge and Kid liked each other, and that eventually turned out for the best. But Dagger…He sighed, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Part of him had to have known this when he saw the tears. Servants were one thing, but only someone that close to the queen could have cried like that.
Opening his eyes, his gaze caught in hers, he sensed the truth in her. She never lied to him, other than the alias she gave, and the truth was clear as day. He ran a hand through his own hair, unsure of what to make the situation. “So…Why didn’t you simply tell me before?”
Her heart thumped hard as she caught the look on his face. All at once she felt even worse than before. He hadn't deserved to be lied to, but what else could she have done? A princess running around outside her country was unheard of, especially when those in the castle were trying to keep up the illusion nothing was wrong. Not only that, but a runaway princess was more apt to be kidnapped than a white mage acting as an emissary for the queen.
"I just...couldn't. I couldn't tell anyone. People would suspect something was wrong if I left as myself, and I couldn't panic the people...not when they were so overjoyed my mother had recovered from her injuries." she explained. Garnet's head drooped until she could see only her lap. "What else could I do? A white mage acting on behalf of the country could slip away from the public notice easier than a princess could. People give away more information when they think you're no one special."
Of course! Logically, that would have been one of the more effective strategies in this case, but still too dangerous. But hearing her call herself nothing special, the dragoon shook his head at that. Nothing special? She was anything but that! She was the one who always healed him. She was the one to pull him out of the fire. She was…indescribable, and words failed to do her justice. He placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb tracing along her jawline as he lifted her face to his. “It’s alright. You were only doing what you thought was best for everyone. I won’t blame you for that.”
Without thinking, he embraced her, wrapping his arms around her warm body. “And even as Dagger, even now, you are special to me.”
She couldn't hold back the surprised look on her face at his reply. Just like that, she was allowed to be free of guilt? She smiled back at him shyly, and gladly returned the hug. She wondered why she had ever thought he wouldn't react the way he did. Glenn wasn't like other people who would be angry at the deceit or somehow use this revelation to his own advantage. Like a dragoon, like a knight, should have done, he reacted rationally and didn't fault her for her decisions. On top of that, he still found her to be a precious person to him.
Garnet's face felt hot as she rested against the knight's shoulder. She had actually begun to see him as a man and not another friend or aid for her kingdom. It was too soon to say anything, but...Was there anything in the future for them? Knowing how closely he followed the codes of those in knighthood, she doubted it. The one thing she had come to dread while traveling with him came rearing back up: would he refuse what she had to offer in order to keep to that code? She honestly hoped not.
'I...I shouldn't worry about that...the most important thing is to return to Alexandria. Once there...if he stays, I can...'
Glenn felt his face rise several hundred degrees the moment he realized what he had done and said, but in the end, she returned it, and all he could do was smile….Until the situation rang in his head. Frowning, he finally asked. “So what happens now? Do we…” he gulped, the words becoming harder for him to find. He yearned for her to stay and aid him, but given the circumstances, he was only putting her in jeopardy. And no doubt she had to return. His heart twisted, the dagger of fate turning the blade. “Must we part ways? You are next in line for the throne…”
A chill settled on her shoulders then, her eyes wide. She was next to assume the crown, and he knew she couldn't stay away from Alexandria. She had to return with all haste. Queen Brahne's death could only go unnoticed so long, and when it was finally discovered, she had to be there for damage control as well as her coronation. Alexandria would fall into a disarray with no one to sit at the head and propel things forward. Even an unexperienced monarch could rule better than no king or queen at all. Duty forbade her to just give it all up and continue running throughout the world.
Even still, she didn't want to part, not like this. Not when they were getting closer. If it was the only path she could take, though, she would take it no matter how heartbreaking it was.
"I...I would ask you to come with me," she admitted, lightly pushing on his shoulders until she was far enough away to look up into his eyes again, "But...I can't ask you to abandon your path just to satisfy my selfish wants. I couldn't do that to you..."
“But…” Glenn shook his head. He appreciated the offer, and would’ve jumped at the chance to go with her. However, the state of this world told him otherwise, especially the events in Luca. And even then, he had his own world to go back to. Who knew what was happening with General Viper and the remaining Dragoons. They were already low on numbers anyway.
“Garnet…You saw Sephiroth yourself and what he is capable of, and now that there are more of his kind…I simply can’t go with you, not now anyway. Until I cleanse this world of their darkness…” He looked off to the side, Garnet’s eyes were too powerful for him not to succumb to. Gods knew he wanted to continue to be by her side, yet at the same time, the only reason he was doing this wasn’t just because of his friends. He had to make this world safer for the both of them.
“I wish there was another way…”
How like him, she thought, to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. She wanted to smile, but the pain in her heart made it far too difficult. Leaving him was too difficult to even think of, let alone carry out. If only she wasn't the only heir left...if only she had been born of lower class...She felt like crying again, but shut her eyes before the tears could leak past. "Will you...be with me until we have to leave Alexandria?"
The hug caught him off guard, and he nearly fell on his back. Momentarily, he freaked out before finally returning the loving embrace. “I will, Garnet,” he whispered into her ear.
Garnet shivered in spite of herself upon feeling his breath on her skin. With less there to worry her, the gravity of how close they truly were was finally made apparent to her. This warmth was something she'd never felt when embracing another person. Not even Zidane had made her feel so safe, so secure, when they embraced one another. She didn't want to pull away, even though she knew eventually they would have to.
A rumble in Glenn’s stomach ruined the moment, and he snapped his eyes open, his face scarred with a bright pink. He had completely forgotten why he was here in the first place. He slowly, and reluctantly, pulled away from her and chuckled. “Um…It’s a lovely sky out there and I was wondering if you might have wanted an dinner under the stars?"
"Oh um...yes." she replied, trying to hide her own embarrassment. She tried not to laugh as well, even though the utter destruction of the moment was indeed hilarious. "That would be wonderful, thank you."