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[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

Characters: Garnet, Steiner
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Steiner is concerned for the Queen's welfare after the events in Memoria.
Location: Alexandria Castle
Date: Early February, when Garnet returns to Alexandria
Warnings: None

As soon as Steiner heard that Garnet had returned to the castle, he rushed to her quarters to meet her. No doubt the Queen had experienced some of her most painful memories, just as he had. Steiner had to know if she was okay.

He knocked before entering, and bowed deeply to his queen. "Your Majesty! Are you well?"

Comments

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

It may have been true that not a single particle of real dirt or water had gotten on her dress, but Garnet had still felt dirty after her walk through Memoria. She'd sent the blue velvet dress for cleaning (much to the confusion of her ladies in waiting), and changed into something less fanciful -- Her favorite long-sleeved white-wool dress, with the find red suede duster, laced up the front, and down the sides. As Steiner entered, The maid was just putting the finishing touches on fixing her long, dark hair into a braid, pulling it out of her face and off her shoulders.

"I am," she replied somberly, straightening a bit in her chair.

She took a second to thank the maid with a smile as the young girl dismissed herself, before she turned her attention fully to Steiner.

"At least," she added, "I'm still in one piece. They were only tricks of the mind, after all. But... what about you?"

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

Steiner stood to attention as Garnet sat up in her chair. She seemed composed, but then over the last few years she had learned that look perfectly.

"Me? You needn't show concern for me, Your Majesty. I only wish that I could have been with you during your ordeal. I hope you weren't stuck with some heartless brigand!"

If someone had hurt the Queen while he wasn't there... Steiner could hardly bear the thought.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Same old Steiner; it seemed she would never be allowed to express concern for him, or anyone else who 'served' her. Hands folded neatly in her lap, Garnet silently shook her head.

"I was fortunate. One of the men I was with aided us when Kefka attacked the palace a few months ago. The other..." she paused. While Seifer may have been rude, and a bit pushy, she wasn't what she would have called a 'heartless brigand'. But, maybe that was her nature of trying to see the best in people. "Well, he wasn't exactly friendly, but, we managed."

She paused a moment, considering everything that had happened. "It was not like the Memoria of before, though. And why so many of us were suddenly transported there, or why Memoria suddenly came to exist around us, confuses me..."

And why Memoria no longer seemed to revolve around memories alone.

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

"It baffles me too, Your Majesty," Steiner agreed. "We must pool our knowledge to discover the cause. Have you spoken to Zidane on this? Thus far, it seems that everyone I have talked to went through the same kind of experiences..."

In Steiner's mind, Zidane was the one he associated most with Memoria, because of his connection to Garland and Kuja.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

"No. Not yet. I was going to call him a little later. Once I'd made sure everything around here was settled."

Shifting in her chair, Garnet pushed herself to her feet. "While in Memoria, I was with a man by the name of Cloud. ...Do you remember him? He's the one I spoke of before, who helped when Kefka attacked at my birthday."

At this, Garnet moved across the room, to her desk. "He knows more things than he has any reason to. He knew of Zidane, and Kuja, even though I never mentioned them to him before. He also said... that he has met Garland as well."

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

Steiner turned to face the queen but stayed where he was, frowning. "But this man must be a Sky Person. How could he have possibly met Garland?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Garnet shook her head. "I don't know. He said something about a Void. A place where people from many different worlds were brought together, and pitted against each other. He says that is where they met, but he also says that no one else seems to remember any of it, or they haven't experienced it yet."

The young queen had been exposed to many strange oddities in her lifetime -- the nature of life, existence, and memories were among them, but this transcendence of time was something she could not wrap her mind around. To the average Gaian, Cloud's claims may have seemed like insanity, but somehow, she believed him. At least, to a degree.

"I don't think Zidane knows who Cloud is, but then, Zidane has forgotten a lot of things lately..." she trailed off, thoughtfully.

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

Steiner snorted. "A convenient story! I would not believe such nonsense without positive proof."

It wasn't the sheer weirdness of the story which caused him to be sceptical; rather, it was the lack of corroboration.

"Do not believe everything you hear," he advised the Queen. "I'm sure there are many who would take advantage of your Majesty's trusting nature." He paused, frowning. "Zidane? What has he forgotten?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

"Everything," she said, without thinking. But in truth, it wasn't as dramatic as all that. Still, for what they'd been through in the last few years, it nearly felt like everything. Garnet shook her head, to contradict her previous statement.

"No. Not everything. But he does not remember anything that has happened since the Flash of Light that started all of this. He does not even remember the appearance of the Midgar Ruins, or that we had.." she struggled there, for a moment. "That we had parted ways. But ti's not as though he has been absent. When I returned to Alexandria, it was he who picked me up, and told me of what had happened."

Garnet paused. "He says he does not remember anything after that time he left to visit Mikoto almost a year and a half ago."

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

"Oh..." The same was true of Steiner, to a much smaller extent. He didn't remember the flash of light or the first appearance of the Sky People. "You cannot blame him for that," he said kindly. "Many of us disappeared when that happened and never saw the events that followed until we returned, myself included. I wouldn't hesitate to blame Zidane for running away, but this time at least it is not his fault."

I fail so hard please forgive me ;_;

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

"It's not... that," said Garnet. "It's the hole in his memories. Is it somehow tied to what's been happening? I wonder now, especially with Memoria's sudden appearance. These circumstances we find ourselves in now, it's more than just the face of our worlds being mixed and re-arranged..."

Pensively, the queen paced the floor, hands clasped in front of her, almost as if she thought to pray, but then changed her mind. "I believe, after what has happened, Uncle Cid will call for another meeting. If he doesn't, I may call one myself. I just hope this one might be more productive than the last."

np :)

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

Steiner nodded. "An excellent idea! We all of us have many questions and it is surely only by putting our heads together that we can come up with any answers. As always, you have my full support, Your Majesty."

Steiner knew that Garnet had a good head on her shoulders, as young as she was. She was mature enough to listen to advice, and also to know her own mind. And she had never led them wrong so far.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Good old Steiner. For all his boisterousness, his occasional lack of forethought, and how his over-protectiveness could at times drive her to irritation, he was true, and loyal, and Garnet was glad to have him. She smiled just a little, surprised to find herself a bit more at ease than she had been before he'd arrived.

"Thank You." She paused. "Have you spoken with Beatrix recently?"

[captain-rusty.livejournal.com]

"On this matter? No, I have not."

Steiner had made sure that she was all right, of course - as well as any of them could be after what had happened. But what each of them had experienced had been so very personal that he didn't like to pry. Beatrix would tell him if she wanted to.