steiner could never recall the applause being so rich and vibrant at the annual play. but then, they had never applauded a real-life happy ending, had they? the queen was overjoyed to see zidane return, and for his own part, steiner was glad also. not just to see his queen smile once more but to know that a man he now considered a friend still lived.

even if he was still a ruffian and a scoundrel. but no one was perfect.

beatrix noted his expression, and misread it deliberately to tease him.

'thinking the queen has made the wrong choice?'

it got a laugh, but a serious reply as well.

'not at all. id never question the queen anyway. espeically not when the ruffian has clearly earned this.' steiner noted, a grin across his face in doing so.

'and your respect too, adelbert?' beatrix asked. a frown crossed his face to her surprise.

'yes. some time ago in fact, though i fear it may take him even longer to earn their respect...' he said.

beatrix followed his gaze towards the only group in the audience not applauding. the noble men and women of alexandria.

'i think you might be right.'

***

garnet groaned as someone knocked at the door to her room once again.

'enter.' she told whoever was there before she had the thought it might have been zidane or another male, or otherwise someone she did not wish to see her while she was still in her nightwear. in response to this she hid behind her covers, confusing the maid who entered.

'um... your majesty, my apologies for waking you but countess highwind is here to seek audience with you...' the woman said meekly.

garnet blinked as she looked at the clock in her room. it was only 6:40 am. she usually tried to wake for 7, so she wasn't up that early, but the countess was here already?

'inform the countess i will be there presently.' the queen said. she couldn't afford to be rude.

by the time she had rushed to get ready, it was already 7:10. the countess made no showing of any displeasure at her wait, primarily because  the queen was allowed to keep you waiting, you were not allowed to comment on it. especially when you had showed up very early even considering that the queen was normally awakened near this time.

countess highwind was the noblewoman who led the way for many others. she and sir faust were the unofficial spokespersons of groups of likeminded nobles, and though they disputed with each other, they also disputed with the queen. other factions existed, but none quite as powerful as the highwind and faust pair. the smaller factions squabbled with themselves and sought the support of the queen. faust and highwind had the influence for the queen to need their support instead.

she'd never liked the countess. the countess was always arrogant when she spoke, and didn't fawn and grovel. though garnet could admire her confidence, the countess had always acted above her station even when garnet's mother and father had been alive. she always seemed to look down her nose at you, helped by the fact she was a tall, thin woman. she had also made no secret that the countess wanted to see garnet marry her eldest son, arthur, who she liked even less.

arthur may have had somewhat handsome looks, but he had a repugnant personality. he was a couple of years older than garnet and now she considered it, practially the opposite of zidane. where zidane would flirt with a girl largely for enjoyment rather than any real expectation, arthur always got what he wanted, and if anyone said otherwise he would react angrily. where zidane may not have been the most noble-looking of people with his scruffy appearance most of the time, he had a noble heart and attitude. arthur meanwhile always dressed immaculately, but openly insulted those below him to their faces and with those who were above his rank, he would mock them behind their backs. he had his mother's height, standing taller than garnet by half a head.

what had made her dislike them both most recently though was that six months ago, the countess had attempted to arrange a marriage. knowing that what highwind wanted was to ultimately control the throne, she had hidden it with an almost as insulting excuse. garnet had took the letter proposing the idea to indicate the countess thought she was unable to be queen herself without someone to hold her hand. her first response would probably have inspired pride and embarresment from zidane, for it consisted largely of a stream of expletives (most of the ruder ones learned from eiko ironically.) and was eventually refined into a politer decline.

but politeness was not on the countess's mind this morning. she made an effort, but garnet still felt herself growing angry at her words.

'your majesty, i and many others are gravely concerned by yesterday's events. we have made investigations into the young man you embraced so boldly, and we are most worried. we are told he was a theif, a kidnapper, and even fought alongside the burmecians three years ago. what kind of man is he?' she said, icily.

garnet bit back her desired response.

'all that is technically true. he was once a theif. he was in fact my kidnapper, but only on a technicality as he had been ordered to do so by others and even requested to do so by myself. and i remind you that we now regard our war with burmecia and cleyra as a grave error. his participation on either side has no bearing.'

'nor does he.'

'...i beg your pardon, countess, but i do not quite understand...' garnet lied. she knew what she alluded to.

'he has no bearing. no title, no noble lineage, no wealth.' the countess said

'he has a noble spirit. if you knew him directly you would see this.'

'he may have any type of spirit, noble or ignoble, but even a queen must obey the laws of the land. and the law of protocol states you must marry someone with a noble title. and i doubt a scruffy theif from lindblum has any title.'

even with her anger at highwind's rudeness, garnet could not think of an answer to it. she was right.

***

zidane himself meanwhile waited outside the portion of the castle set aside for the visiting lindblum royal family.

'the regent will see you now.' a lindblum guard said, escorting him to cid.

it was only when he was face to face with a man who was essentialy his king, even if zidane had been born on another planet, he realised h had no idea how to greet a royal formally. fortunately, cid had no need for protocol.

'good morning, zidane. i'm glad to see you back among us safe and well.'

'uh... thanks... thank you, your...' zidane said, fumbling his words until cid raised his hand.

'zidane, after what you've done for lindblum and for the whole world, i hardly think you need to be formal. besides, i invitied you here to give you a little advice and something that will be helpful. '

zidane stared, lost for words. cid continued.

'you're not one for reading, i think, but have you ever heard the old folk stories? some of them follow the same basic outline. a hero and his love face a threat. something that seems impossible to overcome. but they are granted something that aids them. and they go on to overcome the threat to live happily ever after.'

'well, i remember a lot of stories like that.' zidane admitted. cid nodded, and carefully picked up an ornamental sword. it looked blunt, and zidane was confused.

'i think you and garnet are the hero and his love... or her love, if you want to call garnet the protagonist. your threat is the alexandrian nobility, a mass of pomp and ceremony addicted to protocol. and your aid against them is simple to give. kneel, zidane.'

zidane did so, wondering why before he could think of a reason. only when the sword tapped his shoulder did he get it.

'and arise, sir tribal.' cid grinned. zidane did so but was still rooted to the spot in surprise.

'a kn... knighthood?!' he eventually sputtered.

'yes. for your services to lindblum. you have been a loyal servant and subject... and besides, now you have a noble title. this will be of great annoyance to many people who greatly annoy me at times.'

'there's another reason, zidane. the nobles of alexandria. even the most polite of them is power hungry at heart. polite and proper ladies and gentlemen they may be to each other, but when talking to anyone they think is below them, they turn into the most vicious and impudent pack of mongrels in the world. and as far as they are concerned, you are below them. they weren't happy to see you and garnet yesterday.'

zidane sighed.

'i get it. they'd cause garnet problems if we were to be together if i'm not a noble.'

'correct. but now you're a knight, sir tribal. noble enough in title and for what it's worth, as far as i'm concerned in spirit and deed more noble than most. '

'um... thank you...' zidane said, then paused.

'...if i'm being formal do i still call you your majesty?' he asked, not knowing much about the royal way of speech.

cid pondered this.

'not for long, i hope. you'll be told nearer the time but if you married garnet you'd call me lindblum in a formal setting.'

***

garnet had sent word to zidane that he was to meet her for dinner. she'd had little time to speak with him since yesterday, and knowing what the nobles thought of him made her feel certain that their time together was again fleeting. but when zidane looked nervous as he sat down, she was curious.

'what's wrong?' she asked. her first thought was that countess highwind had met him at some point, and had told him what she had told garnet.

'uh... regent cid kind of gave me a knighthood...' he said. he looked almost embarresed at it, especially when garnet fell speechless for a moment.

'wait... so now you're a knight of lindblum?'

'...yeah. i guess.' he mumbled.

a thought occured to the queen.

'uncle cid knew, didn't he? about the nobles?'

'he mentioned it, yeah.'

'i'm not surprised. he was always well informed. i wager he knows everything countess highwind said this morning...' garnet said. zidane's demeanour changed

'they started already?' he asked, a little angrily.

'yes. she came to remind me that as queen i'm supposed to marry a noble. they just want what they think is best for the country...' she said.

'and what do you want?'

'the same.' garnet replied.

'not for the country, for you. what do you want to keep you happy?' zidane asked. his anger was gone but he had a small grin.

'well... you.' garnet said, and surprised herself at how easy it had actually been to just blurt it out. she was also surprised to see it made zidane blush a little. it seemed he was surprised to have her say it so easily as well.

'and i want whatever is best for you. and whatever makes you happy, is what's best for the country. shouldn't they know that?' zidane grinned at his reasoning after quickly recovering, as well as hearing again that a queen was in love with him as much as he was with her.

'i... i know, but i can't simply tell them that. they take offence at the slightest things and we... we need their support to recover, zidane. there is still a lot of work to be done in rebuilding, not just here in alexandria. mother was to blame for much of the destruction, so it's only right that alexandria makes amends where it can. and without their backing, we'll get nothing done. we have to tolerate them.'

'even though they won't tolerate us?'

'well, yes. but now they have to, sir zidane...'  she smirked, making him blush again. this was fun...

***

countess highwind had not been pleased, but wasn't going to openly criticise another country's king, especially not one who was a powerful ally largely unweakend by the previous year's events. none of the important nobles disputed that zidane now held a noble title. a few remarks about the convinence of it all had been heard, but others discreetly congratulating the queen on a percived solution to her problem that ensured no one had the right to be offended.

but a couple of weeks later, it would be sir faust that brought the next large problem.

garnet swore quietly as someone knocked at the door to her room yet again, and yet again very early in the morning.

'well, that's a little unladylike...' a familar voice said. garnet shot upright fearing he was actually in the room, but was glad to realise the door was still closed. he was just shouting through it. but how had he even heard her...

'z...zidane? is that you?'

'yeah. sorry to wake you but someone called faust is here to see you. figured it would be better for me to come. your maid said she was afraid to.'

she recalled the incident a few days ago as she put on a robe.

'you can come in, zidane.' she said, feeling appropriately dressed for now.

'uh... you're decent, right?' he asked nervously. she grinned and opened the door herself, noting zidane was blushing again. this was really fun...

'what if i had said no?' she smiled. he turned even redder. she liked how the tables had turned here.

'i think i know why the maid was scared... did you flirt with her too?' zidane said. garnet rolled her eyes.

'you wish, zidane. glad to see you haven't changed that much though. so, what does faust want anyway?'

'he says it's something to do with burmecia.'

'well, i had better get ready to see him... so unless you really want to watch i'm going to get dressed.' she smiled, getting another thousand watt blush

'h...hey! i'm meant to be the flirt! you're doing this all wrong, dagger!' zidane protested as she closed the door. he turned and saw to his shock, steiner had managed to quietly sneak up behind him.

'i fear, ruffian, you've created a monster...' the knight of pluto grinned.

'don't you start acting out of character, rusty! you'll derail the whole play!' zidane moaned.

***

garnet recived faust, making sure zidane was with her. she hadn't explained to him why, but it was more than just his companionship she was after at the moment. faust wasn't alone. apart from his two associates he had brought, the burmecian ambassador, lady brunhild, had apparently heard of this meeting and had arrived minutes ago, seeking to make her case.

sir faust was a small thin man with grey hair who threw his nearly non-existent weight around based on a past as a lawyer, and an association with queen brahne.  his legal career had risen thanks to it and the knighthood, and now he was a spokesman for a powerful group of nobles.  lady brunhild meanwhile was a former dragoon, given the task of ambassador by the protector of the prince regent.

'greetings, sir faust. for what do i owe the pleasure?' garnet asked the bowing, but annoyed-looking, noble.

'first, your majesty, i must enquire why we are observed by this... this foreign knight.' faust said, meaning zidane.

'sir tribal has more direct expertise with burmecia than i. it was my understanding your desire to meet with me was to discuss a burmecian matter. not my choice of advisors.'

though faust was thrown off by the reply as lady brunhild smirked, he recovered. what ensued was typical of such debates. both faust and brunhild were polite to the queen, seeking her support, but vicious to each other. faust's mistake was that were zidane entered the fray, he was similalry vicious. lady brunhild, had the good sense to be polite instead.

each accused the other of misuse of money. faust and his accountant claimed burmecia was mis-spending money given to them by alexandria for rebuilding, having heard it was spent on weapons. brunhild countered that the opposite was the case, that money had been diverted from the military to the rebuilding as alexandria had withheld money before this.  but when the constant bickering back and forth over this seemed like it would erupt to full arguing, garnet stood.

'i think, perhaps, a recess is in order to cool our tongues. this issue seems to be one of great contention, and i feel we need level heads to resolve it.'

'of course, your majesty.' brunhild agreed.

'certainly, your majesty. but may i ask to speak with your burmecian advisor?'

garnet had no justification to refuse, but knew what faust was playing at.

'certainly. but first i must speak with him a moment.'

faust and brunhild left the room. garnet quickly warned zidane

'he's playing a political game here. he'll try to undermine you however he can.'

'i know. i'll try and be careful.' zidane said.

'and make sure to be polite. he's a gentleman, and that means when he's speaking to someone he thinks is below him, he's a pompous oaf who thinks he's got a god given right to say as he pleases.'

'when am i ever not polite?' zidane said, in mock surprise.

'a certain incident on a ladder up an airship comes to mind...' garnet smiled. zidane blushed and stammered his response.

'ah... t-that was an accident, honest! i told you then!'

this was really, really fun...

***

garnet may have reconsidered how much fun it was had she known how distracted it could make zidane.

'sir zidane, what exactly is your expertise with regards to burmecia?' faust asked.

'i've visited it a few times and i know a few burmecians.' zidane replied

'do you know who currently rules?'

'of course. lord fair as protector for prince regent puck. the law in burmecia says the monarch has to be 18 to be officially crowned a new king rather than a prince regent.' zidane said, having heard that from freya once, but hoped the next question wouldn't be to tell the difference between them. he'd probably have to find out though.

'and what do you know of the current standing of burmecia?'

zidane pondered this.

'well, i know they're rebuilding. cleyra too.'

'but what are they rebuilding?' faust pressed.

'everything, i guess. homes, churches, farms. anything that was damaged in the war. '

'and what of weapons?'

'well... i suppose they might be replacing weapons but the burmecian knights are traditionalists. they won't replace a weapon if it can be repaired.' zidane replied, feeling quite pleased with that fact recalled from Freya.

'but what if the replacement weapons were an improvement?' faust said.

'i suppose it would only make sense to replace them then.'

'i see. how many soldiers do you think they have?'

'not many. they took heavy casualties in the war.' zidane replied truthfully

'but what do you think the population is?'

'i'm not sure. like i say, when queen brahne ordered the attack it cause a lot of damage to everything.'

'how can you confirm this damage?'  faust said, and zidane missd his intentions.

'i was there.'

'you were there? you fought alongside the burmecians?' faust asked.

'well, yeah. i thought everyone knew that...' zidane said in confusion

'oh dear. little information, potential bias towards the burmecians... i do not think the queen is getting sufficient advice on burmecia.'

'well, do you know the answers to your questions? and aren't you biased against them?'

the older man grinned

' it is not my place to answer, but ask. it is therefore required for my place to be biased towards them. and i know my place very well... sir tribal.' faust said, sarcasm dripping off the last words.

before zidane could react, a third voice interrupted.

'sir tribal! her majesty requests to see you if you are finished with sir faust.'

it was steiner, saving zidane from letting faust find more to nitpick. zidane tried not to look to relieved when he took his leave and steiner approached

'also, sir faust, may i ask for a moment of your time?'

'certainly, captain.' faust said, not willing to be rude to an actual alexandrian.

'i take some issue with the deceptive nature of your questioning of sir tribal. you exploited his honest nature to lure him into a false perception that serves your own aims.'

'perhaps, but i feel the queen has chosen the wrong advisor on this matter. he seems to know little of the burmecian nation.'

'he knows their people and treats them with the respect they deserve, which is more than can be said for you.' steiner answer and turned to leave.

***

the discussion began again. for another half hour, they spoke until sir faust offered a compromise

'perhaps this matter could be resolved by sending an inspector to clarify the rumours?'

'we have nothing to hide. we would welcome an inspector if only to prove these claims are unfounded.' brunhild said.

'who would be sent as inspector?' garnet asked.

'i offer my services.' faust said. brunhild shook her head.

'certainly not. we seek an impartial inspector, not one who may falsify his report!'

'who do you therefore suggest, ambassador?'

'perhaps baroness lonburg.'

'i object. the baroness is a capable woman, but her bias in the matter is clear. she owns land on the border and has favourable agreements with migrant workers and clients from burmecia.' faust said, omitting that she was also a supporter of countess highwind.

garnet was about to speak, to try and put forward her own suggestion to see if either would find it favourable. she had planned to send arthur highwind, knowing brunhild would not object and that faust would not insult his rival by dismissing her son. but faust then spoke first.

'perhaps a solution is obvious, your majesty, ambassador. perhaps we could send sir tribal?'

zidane looked briefly alarmed.

'why do you suggest sir tribal?' brunhild asked, before garnet could.

'i was most impressed by his, ah... expertise of burmecia. i can see no finer inspector that would be accepted by both parties... unless the ambassador objects.' faust said smugly.

'i have no objection.' brunhild said. she had no reason to decline, and garnet had no grounds to object either if both parties had no objection. reluctantly, but trying not to show it, garnet proclaimed it was settled. sir zidane tribal of lindblum would be appointed as inspector.

***

zidane was surprised when garnet punched the wall in frustration.

'damn it, he played us all!' she cursed.

'garnet, calm down. it's not so bad...'

'yes it is! he thinks you'll give a shoddy report back, he'll claim it's a cover up, and use that to demand his own inspectors, they'll make it up if they can't find it, and he and his friends get to hold back tax money. he's always objected to our repayments to burmecia and cleyra and this is his excuse to try and stop them.'

'well... i can look into it, right? see what i'm meant to look for?' zidane said.

'your majesty, may i offer a suggestion?' beatrix said as she entered.

'yes, general?'

'it occurs to me sir tribal's expertise in burmecia does not truly cover the military as he is not a soldier. perhaps therefore he could take his own military advisor as well as request a similar advisor from the burmecians...'

'steiner and freya.' zidane said.

'that was my suggestion, sir tribal...' beatrix nodded.

'if faust and brunhild don't complain...' garnet said, liking the idea. freya and steiner wouldn't bicker, and instead they would both work to help zidane give the kind of report faust didn't want. maybe faust hadn't won yet...