[Thread; Closed] Friendly Alliances

[dynast_king]

Characters: Doctor Cid, Vayne, Garnet (open to Steiner and Beatrix)
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Vayne comes a callin' on the queen, and brings a friend along for introductions.
Location: Alexandria
Date: January 1804
Warnings: Vayne? Cid? idek

Vayne stood at the gates of Alexandria Castle, this time as a returning visitor, rather than the full stranger he

Comments

Sometime later in the week... (private to Garnet and Vayne)

[dynast_king]

Finally Vayne had managed a sliver of time alone with Garnet, without all the formalities of state, the ongoing gawking of others, and her time being occupied with issues pertaining to ruling a country. Well, there were yet a few guards, as they were taking a turn through the castle, since the weather was too cold to allow for an outdoor stroll. At least they were not being too nosy, aside from a few unmistakable knowing smiles, which they masked nearly immediately.

He found those smiles entertaining, since marrying the young queen certainly had not been his original intent. Vayne held no belief in Fates or Gods, choosing to believe instead in the strength of a man's own will and determination. Yet there was something of serendipity that the opportunity presented itself and held more potential than even he could have foreseen.

And yet, he was a military genius, and understood the need for timing and approach, both on and off the battlefield. He would ask at the ideal time, and no sooner. She would give an answer, which he would accept, regardless of it being in the positive or negative. It was fortunate for him, that he was not emotionally invested with the coming proposal, despite the fact that could be a disappointment for Garnet. It could mar his opinion of her if she gave that as a point of refusal, however. Others based on good sense, or logic, he could respect. A foolhardy wish for a fairytale was unbecoming in a ruler. But she did have the most charming ability to bring out his humanity rather than his cold calculations.

He glanced to Garnet, with one of those rare smiles, and admitted, "I confess, I have rather selfishly hoped for time alone with you. I pray you will forgive me that trespass."

[crowned_jewel]

"There's nothing to forgive," said Garnet, who was doing her best to pretend she did not notice the looks they drew. It was not the same sets of eyes that followed her every move for her protection... she was beginning to feel that the guards were perhaps becoming more lenient with Vayne's presence.

"We all do need some time to ourselves now and then, don't we?" she smiled knowingly, remembering the time he had said something similar to her.

[dynast_king]

That drew a shared smile from him, and inwardly, he was pleased that she remembered what he'd said to her before. In fact, it served to support his confidence that this was indeed the best course of action.

"Yes, we do," Vayne replied. "Although there are subtle differences in time spent in solitude and that spent in the company of a close friend." With that, he placed a hand on the small of Garnet's back, to draw her into the semi-privacy of an alcove just off the hallway. Secluded enough to be shielded from prying eyes, yet still accessible, should the guard feel the need assure themselves of the queen's safety. There would be no cause from the Solidor's quarter to cause them concern. "While I certainly do not object to the former, of late, I find myself more drawn to the latter."

[crowned_jewel]

Oh. What was he doing, touching her like that? It was... very familiar, and it was not as if they were on the dance floor. It was unexpected, but all she could do was allow him to lead her that way, speechless. What was he doing?

Coming back into focus, she caught the tail end of his statement. It took her a moment to unravel the webs of formers and latters, Garnet lifted her chin so that she may look up at him.

"Well... I suppose it makes sense. I know, that I am always more content in the company of friends."

[dynast_king]

"Please forgive my boldness, but I desired to make a gift, without drawing the speculations of others," he explained, with a glance behind to see if they were in fact followed.

Looking back into Garnet's face, he smiled and dipped his head. "I do count you among my friends, few though they be." Growing a touch more somber, he added, "I come from a land where one knows not where the next dagger in the back might come from. Foe certainly, but both friend and family have given in to using a man's back should it suit his purposes. Yet, I do trust you, and wished to present you with a token to mark it."

[crowned_jewel]

As if it were somehow contagious, Garnet's expression sobered as well. She knew that such a thing were possible, but she could not imagine worrying every day whether your friends were truly your friends, or if they were simply waiting for a moment to strike. And though she did not want to think too hard on it, the use of the word Dagger brought to mind many more things than the knife that carried the name.

"That... really isn't necessary. You've already done much more than anyone could ever have asked," said Garnet.

[dynast_king]

To her simple protest, he shook his head, reaching into his pocket and extracting something small enough to fit inside his hand. "I ask you to allow me this."

And with that, he held up a slim platinum band, set with sparkling diamonds. No gaudy, overblown ring was this, but more tasteful and elegant. Making no move to force it upon her hand, he opted instead to hold it between them, at such a level that he could hold her gaze.

He had prepared the next words. Mulled them over, considering their weight. Garnet deserved more than something hastily thrown together, and the knowledge that he held that belief assured him that she was special. Seldom did he waste a care on others, seeking instead the most expedient route to the desired end.

"Become my wife." A statement, more than a question, but one that implied desiring consent. He watched her closely for her response, and continued quietly, "For there is no other whom I will hold so dear."

[crowned_jewel]

From the moment he began reaching into his pocket, she should have seen it coming. Garnet was a fast learner, but that didn't stop moments like these from knocking the words, and the breath, completely out of her. As soon as her eyes set on the band, she knew what he was asking.

Become my wife. Her eyes widened, as if she could not see well enough already. For there is no other whom I will hold so dear. Words she had wanted to hear for years now, but from a different man. much more eloquently than she'd ever imagined, at that. Her heart leapt to her throat, then sunk through her stomach. It felt as though she'd swallowed a bird, and it fluttered sickeningly in her chest. For a long moment she could say nothing, could not even look up into his face to see if he was sincere.

Of course he is. It was far too elaborate to be a joke. He was not mocking her. He was serious?

"Vayne... I --"

[dynast_king]

For a fleeting moment, Vayne worried that Garnet would swoon. She certainly bore tell-tale signs of it, but when she continued to hold her ground, his respect for her grew another notch. Grace under pressure, and he was quite aware this was a stressful moment, perhaps for them both, although he maintained his stoicism still.

It occurred to him that some men might be given to pleading their cause, and happened to recall reading on more than one occasion that it was something that women delighted in, as it assured them of the man's sincerity. Yet he had vowed to himself that he would put forth the question and allow her to make the decision for herself.

Instead, he reached up with his free hand, and lightly lifted away a stray wisp of her hair. It was a familiar gesture, beyond anything he had done before. That was as far as he would push the advantage of greater height. No uncouth displays of attempting to steal embraces to hasten her agreement. Rather, he bent only enough to catch her gaze and no more.

"I will not pressure you."

[crowned_jewel]

If she'd been about to speak, his touch silenced her once more. Now that her eyes met his, she could not look away. In the alcove, her face was half cast in shadow, dark eyes wide, like a doe caught in lights. For a moment, she thought to turn the whole situation around; turn it to jest, as they had in the past,for that was all it was ever meant to be...

That ring was no sign of jest.

Slowly, Garnet's hand drew together, clasping in front of her middle; an old habit that she'd never been able to shake, it was as if she were holding on to herself. It was true that she cared for Vayne -- in such a short time, they'd become fast friends. Garnet had never had any friends of similar station, she'd found them all to be so pompous, holier-than-thou, and above all, fake. Everything about Vayne was well-mannered, generous, and genuine.

But... Marriage?

Visions of Zidane, blue eyes carrying a mischievous glint, that impish grin on his face, his cheeks smudged with dirt. For a moment, her fluttering heart stopped. She swallowed, and attempted to speak again.

"It's just... Marriage is not a commitment to be made lightly. You're the Emperor of Archades. When everything has been put back to normal, you'd planned on going back, didn't you?"

She had to convince him that this was a bad idea. It was a bad idea. ... but it was an idea, none the less.

[dynast_king]

"That was my plan," he conceded. "And I have not forgotten my vow to do all that I might to protect your country, and right the wrong which has been done." Vayne expelled a sigh, a break in his stoicism.

Not that he believed that it was impossible to change his future, as Larsa told it, nor would he fully accept that it was so. Still, she had broached the one matter which had given him the greatest pause in even contemplating this proposal. Therefore, it was best to provide some answer that was earnest, and yet truthful. As much truth as he was capable of presenting.

Vayne looked away, as he provided the answer. It was too harsh to share otherwise. "I am told, by my dear brother, that I will meet my end mere days after what I last knew. I do not believe that it is impossible to change my fate, nor do I accept that it must be so. Yet, with Larsa returned as a man in his own right, there must be truth to his words. He has become a fine young man, and if I must perish to insurgents, I could entrust Archades to no better hands." Although that boy's head could be tempered with a little less naivety. He turned once more, looking back into Garnet's lovely face, and considered her most handsome eyes. "I wish my life to mean something, while the time is mine to grasp."

[crowned_jewel]

Garnet listened to his word intently. For the moment, he had her undivided attention. She couldn't hide the twinge in her when he mentioned the prophecy of his own demise. Even being told such a thing, he retained a goal of doing what he'd set out to do, knowing that he could not be assured his life would continue. To her, it seemed, perhaps, this foretelling had only spurred him into motion, to grasp at things he might not have considered before. For a moment, she felt for his situation...

She moistened her dry lips.

"Vayne... It's not that I'm not flattered," she'd been proposed to many times before, and she had turned them all down; she had never known any of them by more than a face and a title. Vayne was different. She glanced down at her hands, folded on her skirt. "I'm just... not convinced that allowing you to be tied down would be the best choice for you. Come the day you were able to return home, where would that leave me?"

[dynast_king]

"With me by your side," her replied, voice modulated into a quiet tone. Firm but not hard. "I am not afraid to die, nor do I resign myself to fate. But I cannot help but think that I have been granted a reprieve, an opportunity to forge a different future, and I am not wont to throw it away."

In the dark recesses of his mind, he hoped that somehow Garnet's old envy of Ashelia would come to mind. Surely the shrew had no desire to return when she'd been granted a life she could not have in Ivalice.

He reached to cup her folded hands in his own, but did not stoop to anything more forward than what their relationship should grant. That was intimate enough for the conversation at hand. "I cannot live my life limited by idle hopes of restoration, always lingering in possibilities which might never come to fruition. Rather, I wish to embrace the reality of what lies before me. And you, my dear, have become the very center of it." He paused ever so slightly, as if weighing his next words carefully, yet they were delivered with heavy look of earnestness. "I realize that I am not the one whom you had set your heart on. Yet I hope that you mind find me a suitable substitute."

[crowned_jewel]

"You would be content as second choice?" Her brows furrowed, her voice edged with disbelief. At even the vaguest suggestion of him, Zidane was once again in her mind. Her birthday seemed so long ago, and that eve in the garden was fading as a dream. Had it been a dream? Maybe she had made it all up. A delusion of wishful thinking.

I'm through doubting. Isn't that what he'd said to her?

Her heart sank, and she turned her gaze downward to where her hands fit in Vayne's. He somehow made her feel so small, like a porcelain doll. He even treated her as one, with such a gentle touch. He was a friend, an ally...

And for a moment, she recalled her recent visit to Ashe and Rasler, and her introduction to their son. It was not even a week ago, when she'd sat on the very edge of that bed in the Inn, been allowed the grace of cradling that infant in her arms. She had never held a baby before. A Marriage of convenience. But they were so in love. She could see it in their eyes, feel it in the warmth of the child she'd held in her arms.

She wanted what they had. More than anything. But as she moved her lips to speak, form that one word of consent seemed nigh impossible.

Garnet had to know for sure... just once, that's all it would take; She would speak to Zidane, and then, she could make her decision.

"May I have some time... to consider it?" she asked softly, daring to look up in Vayne's eyes.

[dynast_king]

"I will do as I must to secure my desire," Vayne answered her in regards to being content. Truer words had never been spoken. He would use whatever means necessary to accomplish his ends, a sad truth being played out here. There might have been a prick to his conscience about the web he was weaving with his friend, but it went ignored, the unfortunate result of too many years as an apprentice in the art of necessity.

Seeing Garnet lapsed into silence, he laid the case to rest. Better to let her think and consider, rather than push to the point she would not yield.

And yet, she was young, and kind, and capable. So entirely sincere in her considerations, and he began to second guess the necessity of drawing in a young bride who had the poor fortune for falling for a man unable to ask for her hand. Had we more time, we might have availed ourselves of more prudent measures. Words spoken to Cid in a moment of self-reflection that brought about a less than satisfying image. Yet again, he found himself questioning the hasty nature prompting him to action.

And thus, when Garnet dared look up at her, he was studying her with a look that bordered on regret. Not far for her to conclude that he assumed she meant to refuse him. Perhaps she would be right to do so. My hands are stained with blood. With her question, all doubts and questioning was pushed away. Surely she would not ask, if she meant to refuse. "You may. I know it is not a decision lightly made."

[crowned_jewel]

At this, the tension in her shoulders eased. Still, she could not help but feel that in the event she finally gave him an answer, this delay would only serve as a false hope. But even if she did not deny him his request, this was not a case of love; she could be certain of that. True, he said he cared for her, and she believed him, but that did not mean he loved her. But, love...

Love was a complicated matter. Love, to Garnet, was a bird on the wind, soaring, far from her reach. Love was a song, once sung in solitude, and then shared. Love was the feel of arms around her waist, holding her up, never letting her fall...

Love was a dream, but she was wide awake.

She gave Vayne a gentle smile. "Thank you," she whispered, hoping that whatever decision she made, she would not be a cause of pain.