[ THREADS // SEMI-Open ] Return to Alexandria

[crowned_jewel]

Characters: Garnet, Zidane, Steiner, Beatrix, Squall, Rinoa ... possibly more.
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Garnet returns to Alexandria, and there are some matters to settle.
Location: In and Around Alexandria
Date: September 15th, 1804
Warnings: None (TBA)

Comments

Reunion

[crowned_jewel]

[This will be immediately following Garnet's re-entrance to the palace.]

Reunion

[captain_rusty]

As useless as Steiner's knights generally were, at least they were quick on the uptake when it came to informing him that the Queen had returned. She was in the palace! Steiner hurried over from Galbadia Garden as fast as he could, and upon entrance to the throne room he dropped to his knees and bowed his head reverently.

"Your Majesty! Truly, you have returned! This is a miracle!"

Steiner was never any good at disguising his emotions anyway, but the joy in his voice was palpable. He felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. All the destruction in Alexandria, all the pain and death they had endured... With Garnet back, he knew that he could face it.

[crowned_jewel]

For all appearances, Garnet was as she had been before the attack on Alexandria had begun in earnest -- the same white blouse, marigold suit, red leather gloves and boots. The blood stains had vanished, the tears mysteriously repaired. How they all came to be revived while clothed was still a mystery that eluded her, but best not to think too hard on it. Still, there was something different inn her eyes -- a tired emptiness, a weariness to her face. She looked at Steiner and smiled, her heart lifted just a bit at seeing him again, his usual enthusiasm. Yes... she was needed and wanted here, wasn't she?

"It's good to be back, Steiner. I am very sorry to have caused you all such grief. I promise, in the future, I will take more care."

[captain_rusty]

Steiner shook his head vehemently. "No! It is not you who should apologise, Your Majesty! It is I!"

All the guilt that he had felt upon Garnet's death came flooding back. Steiner grovelled at her feet, shaking his head.

"I should have been there to protect you! It is I who have failed, Your Majesty! I allowed this to happen! No apology can be enough. I would have given up my knighthood, given up everything when we... when we lost you. Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Audience with Garden

[crowned_jewel]

[This will be where Garnet (and any other who want to be there) meets to talk w/ Squall]

Re: Audience with Garden

[knighted_lion]

Formal audiences had never really been Squall's favorite thing. They were inconvenient, frequently long, and more often than not no one really went home pleased. But that didn't excuse him from having to do them. So he'd learned to deal with them, more or less.

So for now, he waited. Waited for whoever might be present for this particular one to assemble, so that they could get down to business.

[crowned_jewel]

Garnet has spoken to Squall once before -- a particular phonecall in response to Steiner's loud protests to Garden's close proximity to Alexandria. Since then, she had heard mention of Commander Leonhart vanishing, re-appearing, vanishing again... She wondered if he ever remembered her now, but decided it didn't matter much.

She'd sent for Squall as soon as Steiner and the others had finished giving her the run-down of the state of things. When she'd been notified of his arrival, she'd proceeded to the designated meeting place-- The Palace Library, unconventional as it was. It was to be a small meeting, consisting of no more than the commander, herself, Zidane, and Steiner and Beatrix if they saw fit to attend.

When she entered the room, her eyes settled on Squall, and she gave him a shallow nod of greeting.

"Commander Leonhart. Thank you for coming. Please, make yourself comfortable," she said softly, motioning to the number of chairs in the reading area, while she settled herself in one.

[knighted_lion]

Unfortunately, Squall had no real memory of Garnet. He knew who she was in a sort of general way, but on a personal level he had nothing. But then again, that could have been said of any of the other formal audiences he'd been to, so that at least wasn't out of the ordinary.

He'd just have to remember that not everyone here knew who Ultimecia was and what she was capable of and everything should go fine.

Would have to, really, as he offered a nod of thanks to the Queen of Alexandria before taking a seat in one of the chairs. He might have even slouched a bit, were it not for the formal SeeD uniform he was wearing, but formality required formality and so he settled for something approximating a seated version of an 'at ease' stance.

"I could hardly have refused, Your Majesty."

Not without causing more than one breach between the... did Garden count as a nation? Either way, it would have looked extremely bad if he hadn't, and that was something he hadn't been willing to risk.

The Sorceress

[crowned_jewel]

[Garnet goes to talk with Rinoa -- this occurs after talking to Squall, but could be before or after Squall is allowed to go speak to her.]

The Sorceress

[livelyangel]

Spending two weeks locked up in a dark cell wasn't good for one's health. Spending two weeks locked up in a dark cell feeling absolutely wretched with guilt was much, much worse. Rinoa's appetite had disappeared; she looked thin and haggard.

She lay curled up on the mattress, staring bleakly into space. The necklace was still choking her, cutting off her magic. Even if she could have used it, it wouldn't have occurred to her to try and escape. Maybe she deserved to rot down here. Maybe she ought to make the decision that she had made once before: to seal herself away, to be certain that her powers as a Sorceress would never be a threat.

Then maybe none of this would have happened...

Rinoa closed her eyes and tried not to think about it.

[crowned_jewel]

When Garnet was lead to Rinoa's cell, she was surprised -- in walking her path from the Gargan Roo exit, up through the palace, she'd passed by this very cell. It hadn't looked like anyone was there, but now, looking in, she could see the girl curled up in the shadows. Her eyes widened, but she schooled her face into one of neutrality. She reached out, wrapping her fingers around a bar. She knew Rinoa to be a lively, vivacious young woman, and the sorceress she'd fought against showed no fear, and a level of unrivaled arrogance. But this... this was nothing like either of them.

"Rinoa..." she called out, wondering if the girl would even stir.

[livelyangel]

That voice. Was she hearing things? Opening her eyes, Rinoa saw the young woman standing outside the cell with her fingers curled around a bar, and she started as though she'd seen a ghost. Which, in a way, she had.

White-faced, Rinoa sat up braced against the dungeon wall and stared. Her heart was hammering, but she didn't actually dare to acknowledge Garnet. Was her imagination playing tricks on her? Intellectually, she'd known that this might happen, that Garnet might return. But she'd still killed the Queen.

She swallowed, shrinking back against the wall. Rinoa was honestly terrified.

Seeing Rinoa

[crowned_jewel]

[If Squall wants to go talk to Rinoa on his own, here's the place to do it. He'll probably have an escort, like Bea or Steiner.]

Re: Seeing Rinoa

[knighted_lion]

The weeks after the end of the fight had been almost unbearable. It was one thing to know that you might need to fight a friend someday. It was another entirely to have to do it. So really, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise at all that he all but jumped on the chance to see her.

The fact that he had to have an escort was something he could deal with. It wasn't like they could blame them for thinking he might try to break her free (he wouldn't, but they hadn't a way to know).

For now, he'd be quite content to merely see Rinoa again.

Seeing Rinoa

[captain_rusty]

Steiner escorted Squall down to the dungeon where Rinoa was locked up. He didn't like Squall. True, Squall had helped Beatrix before, for which he was grateful, but all in all, he hadn't proved himself to be a worthy ally. And there was the fact that Squall and his ilk were mercenaries, which to Steiner simply meant 'no sense of honour or loyalty; not to be trusted'.

Since Garnet accepted that the attack on Alexandria wasn't the SeeDs' fault, however, so did Steiner. He stopped just before the right cell and jerked his head in Squall's direction.

"She's in there. You have five minutes!"

Seeing Rinoa

[livelyangel]

Rinoa heard them coming. Someone was coming to visit her! Simultaneous hope and dread made her stomach churn. She got up and padded over to clutch at the bars of her cell, looking out to see who it was.

Squall might get something of a shock when he saw her: Rinoa was visibly thinner, her clothes hanging limp on her body. She was pale and wan, and there were dark shadows beneath her eyes. Half-hidden by her hair, she also had a metal collar around her neck, a collar that contained nethicite.

She stared into the corridor outside, pressing against the bars as she tried to lean out.