Chapter 3

The buzz about the new king gradually faded as the days wore on, being replaced by the usual court gossip. The nobles turned their attention to the newer, juicier stories and life at the castle returned to normal. Dagger dealt with all the affairs of state and Zidane had more free time than he had ever dreamt possible.

Although the thought of being able to lounge about all day long without any repercussions sounded appealing, the young king found that the novelty wore off rather quickly. The inactivity of the first few days urged him to escape the castle walls, so he turned his attention to the city. Having spent most of his life in Lindblum, he wasn't as familiar with most of Alexandria city as he should be. The next couple weeks were spent exploring the town, both with and without his royal escort. It wasn't long before he knew the city like the back of his hand and he found himself with ample free time on his hands once more.

Dagger had suggested a hunting trip and Zidane readily agreed. He had always enjoyed pitting his skill against the beasts of the forest and looked forward doing so once again. Unfortunately, how the king hunts is vastly different from how a commoner does, as Zidane found out. Dogs negated the necessity (and challenge) of finding and reading tracks, and the royal huntsmen did all the actual work of taking down the beast. If the blonde complained enough, they would let him deliver the 'final blow' (to put the beast out of it's misery after the 'killing blow' was made), but anything beyond that was 'far too dangerous' (the king was half-waiting for them to confiscate his chocobo, to reduce the risk of him falling off and breaking his royal neck). Although the trip was supposed to last a week, Zidane decided to skip out early and slipped out in the middle of the night after the second day. He had returned to the castle at the end of the week to find it in an uproar. Although Dagger was relatively sure nothing had happened to him, Steiner had always been a bit on the excitable side. The lecture he had given the king left Zidane partially deaf for the rest of the day.

At present, the young king was sitting in his study, one leg slung over the arm of the chair as he stared moodily at the wall. He tossed a ball, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, so high it almost touched the ceiling before falling. His hand darted out, seemingly of its own accord, and snatched the ball out of the air, only to toss it up again, his eyes never leaving the wall. He didn't look up when there was a knock on the door followed by someone entering the room.

"Her Majesty asked me to inform you that she will be unable to join you for lunch today," Edwin stated, bowing. He raised an eyebrow at the blonde's undignified position, but refrained from commenting on it. "Is something troubling Your Majesty?" he asked instead, noting the almost sulking expression on the king's face.

"I'm bored."

Edwin blinked. "Surely Your Majesty can find something around the castle to occupy your time."

"You mean like hosting a tea party or working on my embroidery? Sorry, but that's just not for me."

"There is plenty of material to read, if Your Majesty was so inclined," Edwin said, looking pointedly at the books lining the shelves behind the blonde.

"No thanks. I have found most of the books here to be rather dry reading. Besides, I'm tired of being cooped up in here."

"I understand there is a new production at the theater in town."

"Ruby's choice in plays as of late leaves something to be desired."

"What about organizing another hunting expedition?"

Zidane snorted. "You saw how well the last one turned out. Steiner might actually have an aneurism this time."

"If Your Majesty could be persuaded to actually stay with the group..."

Zidane gave him a look that clearly indicated that wasn't happening.

"What about hosting a tournament of some sort? A contest in archery or close combat with some sort of prize for the winner?"

"That could be fun." Zidane caught his ball, turning his gaze on the chamberlain. "But, I'll bet that I'm not allowed to participate, right?"

Edwin looked shocked. "Your Majesty! It would be far too dangerous to-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Zidane interrupted, looking back at the wall as he tossed the ball up in the air again.

Edwin was silent for a moment, sensing the king's obvious displeasure. "Your Majesty enjoys riding. What about going for a ride in the country?"

"That's about all I can do these days," Zidane muttered. "Thank you, Edwin. That will be all," he said dismissively, closing his eyes. His ears twitched slightly, his hand deftly catching the ball once more.

Edwin sighed, but bowed and quietly left the room.

. . .

That afternoon found Zidane in the royal stables, brushing down Choco. The stablemaster was distractedly tending to an injured chocobo in a stall at the far end of the barn, casting nervous glances towards the blonde. Although the king had always insisted on taking care of his own bird, the stablemaster couldn't help but feel uneasy every time the monarch did the servants' work.

"There you go, boy," Zidane said, running the extra wide-tooth comb through the large feathers. He brushed off bits of straw from the nest and ran his hand over the smooth feathers, making sure they all lay flat against each other. Once he was done, he patted the bird's flank and retrieved the bridle from its hook just outside the stall. "Are you ready for our usual ride?" he asked, fitting the straps over the bird's beak and head.

Choco warbled happily, prancing in place before nudging Zidane towards to door of the stall with his head.

"Alright, I got it!" The blonde took the reins, leading the bird out of the stall. "I don't know what you're so excited about- it's not like you're ever locked in, anyway. You can leave whenever you want."

The chocobo crooned again, softly butting his head against Zidane's.

"Don't tell me you don't like to ride alone?" Zidane shook his head, chuckling. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're still excited to go. After the last couple months, I'd think you'd be tired of just running around on the plains. I know I am. But, it's still better than not being able to go anywhere at all, I guess," he said, hopping onto Choco bareback. The bird had never cared much for saddles and Zidane saw no reason to force the issue. As he exited the stables, he noticed two men dressed in armor were waiting for him astride chocobos of their own. Right on time, the blonde noted sourly. Collin Gedgrave, my own personal Pluto Knight babysitter for the week, and his trainee, Private Keith Malahide. Can't let the king go anywhere without an escort, after all. I need to figure out how to get Choco to meet me outside the city, so we can go for a real ride...

"Your Majesty," the knight greeted as they both bowed.

Zidane inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement before turning and leading the way towards the ferry dock between the castle and the town. The boat was returning from the other side, so they waited at the edge of the lake. Zidane glanced down, studying his reflection on the still water. He wore a white, ruffled tunic that was covered by a red jacket with gold embroidery down the front and on the cuffs. His soft brown breeches were tucked into his leather riding boots and his tail was wrapped around his waist, looking like a furry belt. His delicate crown rested on his forehead, proudly proclaiming his status to all who saw it. He couldn't help the sardonic smile that marred his features at the sight. Since a man leaving the castle on a chocobo with an escort would seem a bit suspicious, he had no choice but to dress as the king. However, it didn't make him feel any less like he was walking around with a big target on his back. The ripples banished the picture as the boat pulled up to the dock.

. . .

The sky was overcast, the gray clouds just dark enough to hint at the possibility of a light rain. A warm, gentle breeze played with the tall grass, sending undulating waves from the edge of the cliffs to the base of the mountains. Three chocobos cut through the green sea, moving at an easy lope across the plains.

Zidane raised his head, studying the clouds with a practiced eye. We should be back to the castle before it starts raining, he thought, turning his attention back to the grassland ahead of him. Even with how slow those two ride. A quick glance over his shoulder showed that his guards were starting to fall behind again. A mischievous glint shown in his eyes as he clicked his tongue. Choco reacted without breaking stride, leaning forward until the blonde was almost sitting on the bird's neck. Golden wings were opened and held almost parallel to the ground, angling upward slightly in the back. Zidane tightly gripped the bird's body with his legs, expertly moving with his mount to keep from falling off. The change in position brought with it a burst of speed, almost doubling how fast the chocobo had been running previously. His lips curved into a grin as the wind whipped through his hair, drowning out the protests of his escort as he left them far behind.

Zidane held that pace for several minutes before slowing down to a walk. Twisting around, he grinned wider at how much distance he had put between himself and his guards. "I don't know if the chocobos can't do it, or if Keith and Gedgrave are afraid to try," he said, rubbing Choco's neck, "but no one ever can keep up with you when you sprint."

Choco warbled happily, his chest heaving under the blonde's legs.

"No, we'll walk for a bit," Zidane said, pulling back slightly on the reins as the bird started to speed up. "Give them a chance to catch-up. If you're still feeling frisky, perhaps we'll give them another run for their money on the way back."

They hadn't been walking very long when Zidane caught movement from the corner of his eye, reflexively ducking as a rock flew past his head. "What the..." he trailed off, looking around to find who had thrown it. The white tip of a tail poked up in the grass and Zidane chuckled. "Oh, I see," he said, pulling Choco to a halt and sliding down off his back. "It looks like a mu has come out to play." He pulled his daggers from their sheaths, holding one out in front of him and the other to the side as the tail disappeared again.

The wind blowing the tall grass made it difficult to tell where the mu might be hiding, so he carefully circled around where he had last seen it, senses on high alert. He heard the other chocobos running up behind him, but dismissed them as unimportant. The mu's furry head popped up off to his right and he turned, quickly ducking another rock. Sensing another attack from behind, he spun around, bringing up his dagger to a defensive position.

There was a blur of yellow before he was crushed under a jumble of clanking metal plates, punctuated by a scream. Zidane froze for an instant as that voice- that human voice -cried out in pain, realizing almost immediately that his blade was the cause. He didn't move as he landed on the ground, quickly cataloguing his entire body in relation to the body on top of him. He concluded the dagger in his left hand had caused the wound and he carefully rolled the armored man over on the opposite side, flinching reflexively when the movement tore another cry of pain from Keith. "Easy, now," Zidane said soothingly, trying to maneuver out from underneath the wounded man. "Try to take deeps breaths- that's it." He managed to get free, quickly locating the dagger. The blade had slipped through the gaps in the armor underneath Keith's upper right arm and had sunk deeply into the flesh. Zidane released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, shoulders slumping slightly in relief. He had been afraid that he had accidentally delivered a fatal wound.

"Please stand back, Your Majesty!" Gedgrave said, his icy tones conveying more than his words. He swiftly knelt on Keith's other side, wiping his bloodied sword on the grass before sheathing it and began pulling the pieces of armor off the younger man's arm. "I need to see how badly wounded he is!"

Zidane moved back, careful not to step on the dead mu as he gave Gedgrave room to work. He chewed on his lip, guilt gnawing at his innards as he went over what had happened. That yellow blur before he hit me- he must have tackled me from his chocobo's back! Why did he jump on me, especially from behind? He knows I carry daggers and I was obviously ready to use them! What in the world was he thinking? Didn't he SEE the mu? He should know better than to do something like that without at least yelling a warning! What did he THINK I was going to do? And why on Gaia was he trying to tackle me? he wondered, his tail angrily swishing back and forth. He paused as an unpleasant thought occurred to him, the hated words 'far too dangerous' echoing in his mind. Of course. I should have known! I'm not allowed to do anything even remotely dangerous! What made me think they would just stand back and let me fight a monster? The mu threw a rock and Keith was trying to shield me with his own body! He closed his eyes as guilt wrenched his insides. I should have known he'd do something like that! This is all my fault!

"Your Majesty, please bring me my pack! The wound is deep and I need to stop the bleeding!" Gedgrave said urgently, putting pressure on the wound as Keith writhed underneath him.

Zidane quickly fetched the pack without a word, staying out of the way as he tried to deal with the emotions surging through him. He was seething internally, although he couldn't say with whom he was angrier; Keith for doing his 'job' or himself for being so careless. Either way, the guilt wrapped around it was enough to almost make him physically ill.

Movement caught his attention and he noticed Keith's chocobo still running some distance away, apparently not caring that its rider was no longer in the saddle. Not wanting to stand around idly with only his thoughts for company, Zidane walked over to Choco and climbed up on his back, turning him away from the knight and his apprentice on the ground.

"Please wait for us, Your Majesty! As you must have noticed, it can be dangerous out here!" Gedgrave said, his tone bordering on accusatory.

Zidane stiffened, bristling slightly at the implication. Only his guilt kept him from giving the knight a biting retort. "I am simply going to retrieve his chocobo. We need to return to the castle as soon as possible," he replied without turning around, his voice emotionless.

There was a pause. "Be careful, then," Gedgrave said at length. "It would be better for all involved to not have anymore 'accidents' this trip."

Zidane didn't reply, kicking Choco into a gallop. It didn't take him more than a few minutes to catch the chocobo and he held its reins as he led it back to where his guards were sitting on the ground.

Keith was sitting up, his face white as Gedgrave tightly wrapped his arm. He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut as the knight yanked on the bandage, making sure it was taut before tying off the ends.

Gedgrave glanced up as the chocobos stopped a few feet away. "Make sure you keep pressure on that," he instructed, pushing himself to his feet. He picked up the dagger that had caused the wound, carefully wiping it off before handing it back to the King.

Zidane accepted the blade, slipping it back in its sheath as Gedgrave took the reins from him. "Can he ride?" the blonde asked.

"I'll lead his chocobo," Gedgrave replied. He gathered up the pieces of Keith's armguards, distributing them among the saddlebags. Then he pulled Keith to his feet and helped him climb onto the giant bird. He led the chocobo over to where his own mount was grazing and pulled himself into the saddle. "After you, Sire," he said, motioning for the blonde to lead the way.

Zidane inclined his head, turning his mount and leading the way to Alexandria. He kept the pace slow, noting the way Keith was tightly clutching his arm to his chest so as to not jar it anymore than necessary. It turned out that his prediction did not hold true, the first drops of rain falling on their heads as they approached the city. Still leading the group, Zidane turned from the main gates before they drew too close, heading instead to the edge of the lake some distance from the town. Gedgrave cleared his throat in a rather irritated fashion as the King dismounted.

"Might we not see to Malahide's injury first , my liege?" the Pluto Knight asked rather pointedly.

"That's what I'm doing, Gedgrave. Let me help you down, Keith."

"Um, I'm afraid I don't understand, Sire. Why have we stopped here? The ferry is in the middle of the town," Keith said, looking distinctly uncomfortable as the King helped him dismount.

"It'll be faster this way. Besides, I don't want to deal with all the rumors that are bound to crop up all over the place if we ride into town with one of you injured," Zidane stated, gesturing at Keith's arm. "Choco will take you across the lake."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but chocobo's can't swim," Gedgrave informed him.

"Thank you, Gedgrave, but I am well aware of the limitations of regular chocobos, thanks in no small part to these daily outings," Zidane replied, bitingly. He gave the command and Choco sat, allowing Keith to climb on his back more easily. "Just hold on with your legs. As long as you don't flail about, he'll do his best to make sure you don't fall."

"Your Majesty, I must protest! Malahide is in no condition to swim-" Gedgrave began.

Zidane silenced him with a look before turning back to his chocobo. "Go back to the stables," he instructed. "I'll be there soon."

Choco warked, rubbing his cheek against Zidane's before turning and stepping into the water. Gedgrave had already dismounted and was un-strapping his sword, trying to remove the heavier items from his person before he had to jump in and save his trainee. He already had his breastplate half-off when he realized the chocobo was actually treading water. Keith looked just as surprised as his commander as the large bird bore him swiftly across the lake.

"We'll circle around and enter through the front gates," Zidane said, climbing onto Keith's mount. "The townsfolk aren't likely to notice that I'm only returning with one guard when I left with two."

Gedgrave shook himself out of his stupor, quickly replacing his armor and sword before clambering back into the saddle. "Yes, Your Majesty," he replied, still not quite able to take his eyes off the swimming bird.

Zidane would have laughed at the knight's expression had his mood not been so foul. As it was, he just shook his head, wheeling his mount and heading for the city gates.

It took them about half an hour to circle around and approach the castle via the town. They rode calmly through the streets, not wanting to arouse suspicion by seeming to be in a hurry. The townsfolk moved out of their way, bowing respectfully as the King rode past before going back whatever they had been doing. As Zidane said, no one seemed to notice he was missing a guard.

It didn't take long for them to reach the stables. Choco warked as Zidane led his chocobo past, the stablemaster hurrying out of the stall. "Sire! You're not injured, are you? Malahide said you weren't but I was worried when he returned alone, riding your personal chocobo-" he exclaimed, bowing as he took the reins.

"Calm down, Nigel. I'm fine," Zidane reassured him, sliding off the bird's back. "I sent Keith ahead because he needed medical attention, and Choco could get him here the fastest. I assume he's with the healers?"

"Yes, Sire. He was looking a bit green around the gills, so I had one of my boys take him down there."

"Thank you," Zidane said, turning his chocobo over to the stable master. He looked in on Choco, noting the bird had already been brushed down. He turned back, addressing Gedgrave. "I'm heading down to the training rooms. I don't suppose you'd like to spar a few rounds with me?"

"I took a vow that I would never raise my blade against you, Your Majesty," the knight replied.

Zidane recognized the cop-out for what it was, but didn't press the issue. "I assume you are going to check on Keith, then?"

"Malahide is my responsibility. I will wait with him until we know how extensive the damage is."

"Very well. Let me know what healers say."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zidane left the stables and headed down to the training rooms, silently fuming the whole way. I have to get out of here. I'm starting to get sloppy from lack of practice, as evidenced by today. But, no one will let me get the practice I need! I can't fight monsters and no one is willing to spar with the King! He snarled softly, irritated by that fact almost more than he was willing to admit. Perhaps I'll leave tomorrow, during my ride. Head due west, leaving whoever's guarding me at the foot of the mountains. I'll have to circle around the edge of the continent to actually get anywhere, but they'd be liable to follow me straight over the cliff if I headed east right away. They'll be furious of course, but I'll talk to Dagger tonight. He rounded the corner to the training room, seeing Steiner talking to one of the knights in the hallway. Steiner will have a fit when he finds out, too, he thought, smiling grimly. He blinked as something else occurred to him. Steiner will spar with me! I don't know why I haven't asked him before!

The knight excused himself as Zidane approached, leaving the captain alone with the king. "Your Majesty," Steiner greeted, bowing slightly.

"Are you busy?" Zidane asked bluntly.

Steiner blinked. "There is nothing so pressing that it cannot wait," he answered, his tone curious.

"Good. I need a sparring partner."

The captain raised an eyebrow but followed the king into the training room. "Will we be using the practice swords?" he asked, moving over to the wall.

"No. I'll use my daggers against your broadsword. Things will be more interesting that way, wouldn't you agree?"

"Your Majesty seems to be in an ill humor today," the knight noted, smiling slightly.

Zidane shrugged. "I've had a bad day." He drew his daggers, falling in ready stance. "Are we gonna do this or what?"

Steiner shrugged, unsheathing his sword. "Ready when you are, Sire."

. . .

Gedgrave walked down the stone corridors, head bent in thought. Malahide was lucky, he thought, distractedly nodding to a maid going the opposite direction. If that blade had gone any deeper, he might have lost use of his right arm permanently! But, the King has to have his daggers. The nobles, the royalty- they're all the same. They insist on being armed even though they don't know which end of the blade to use. And who ends up always getting hurt? The guards, that's who! He shook his head, grinding his teeth together. Malahide wouldn't even be in this mess if His Majesty would let us do our job! What was the fool thinking, challenging a monster like that! A mu may not look like much, but that doesn't mean it's harmless! His recklessness is going to get someone killed one of these days! He stopped in front of the training room, taking a deep breath and wiping all traces of his thoughts from his face. Once his mask was in place, he opened the door and stepped inside.

Steel rang sharply against steel as two men danced around each other in deadly combat. The Pluto Knight was surprised to recognize Captain Steiner, sweat rolling down his cheeks and his breath coming in harsh gasps as he tested his skills. Even more shocking still was when Gedgrave realized that the King was his opponent. Zidane was also panting, although his features were lit with a feral grin as he raised his dagger and darted once more towards the Captain of the Knights of Pluto.

Gedgrave couldn't help but stare in open-mouthed wonder as the scrawny little royal-pain-in-his-behind held his own against the best swordsman in the Knights of Pluto. And, the Captain didn't seem to be going easy on the monarch, either.

Zidane's strategy seemed to be based on speed, making quick slashes before dancing back out of reach and darting forward from another angle. Steiner seemed intimately familiar with the fighting style, as he was able to parry or block most of the blows. Anticipating the blonde's next move, Steiner swung the broadsword down from over his head, holding it tightly in a two-handed grip. Zidane didn't have time to dodge, quickly raising his crossed daggers and catching the large blade between them.

Steiner pushed down with all his might and Zidane's arms trembled as he fought to hold his own. He knew he couldn't beat the knight in a contest of strength. His eyes darted around as his mind raced to find a way out. An idea struck him and he brought his tail between his legs, looping the long appendage around the captain's armored knee. Clenching his teeth as his blades started slipping, he yanked his tail back with all his might.

Steiner faltered as his knee was pulled out from underneath him, allowing Zidane to throw off his sword and lay one of his daggers against the knight's throat.

"My win, again," the blonde said, grinning cheekily.

Steiner blinked, glancing down as his mind processed what had just happened. "You- you cheated!" he declared, pointing at the furry tail swinging back and forth innocently. "This was supposed to be an honorable match! You can't use your tail!"

"Why not? It's just like using your foot to kick someone. It's not my fault you were born tail-less," Zidane shrugged, turning to address Gedgrave.

The captain pinned the tail between his foot and the floor as Zidane turned, throwing his armored shoulder into the blonde's side. The king went down with a startled yelp and Steiner quickly stepped forward, rested the tip of his sword on the floor next to the monarch's cheek.

"What happened to an 'honorable fight?' " Zidane asked wryly.

"Everyone knows that the match is not over until the loser declares defeat. Besides, you cheated first," Steiner replied haughtily. His face had taken on a smug expression as he started down at his opponent. "It seems that I have the advantage now."

"Funny thing about advantages," Zidane began, bringing up his knee hard into the back of Steiner's legs. The captain toppled with an undignified squawk as the blonde twisted around and again held his blade to the knight's throat. "They're just so hard to keep," he finished, grinning once more. "Do you yield?"

"It seems I have no choice," Steiner replied, dropping his sword. "This match is yours."

Zidane sheathed his daggers, helping Steiner to his feet. "That was the best work-out I've had in a good long while," he said, stretching as he turned towards the door expectantly. "What can I do for you, Gedgrave?"

Gedgrave blinked, as if coming out of a stupor. "Oh, um, Your Majesty asked that I report what the healers said..."

Zidane nodded. "How's Keith?" he asked

"The healers say he should make a full recovery."

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Steiner looked back and forth between the two, confusion playing about his features. "Keith? Private Malahide? Is there something I should know about?" he asked.

Gedgrave opened his mouth to answer, but Zidane beat him to it. "There was an accident when we went riding earlier today," the blonde explained. "It was my fault, I'm afraid. I should have anticipated how he'd react."

Steiner nodded. "Well, I'm glad he's going to be alright," he said. "I suppose there's no need to tell you to be more careful, though."

Zidane looked away, obviously still troubled by the incident.

Gedgrave stared at the blonde with an indiscernible expression. Witnessing this match changed a few of his preconceptions about the King and he needed some time alone with his thoughts to work through them. He excused himself and quietly left the room.

Zidane stared after him, idly wondering which bothered the knight more- the fact that the King knew how to fight or the easy banter between him and the Captain of the Knights of Pluto. He shrugged, dismissing it as unimportant and stretched again. "Man, I can't tell you how much I needed that," he said. "We're gonna have to do this again sometime soon."

"Unfortunately, I'm going to be gone for the next several weeks," Steiner informed him. "We leave tonight."

"Gone? Where?"

"Field training." At Zidane's blank look, Steiner elaborated. "As you know, I've spent the last several years earning back the respect that the Knights of Pluto had lost over time. Thinking back, we really were a sorry lot," he said, shaking his head. "But that is no longer the case. Through intensive training, I've whipped them into an elite force to be reckoned with, one worthy to serve as body guards to the royal family." Pride filled his voice as he remembered when the Queen had asked him to fill that position with his knights. "However, our new popularity has caused recruits to come flocking in. Before, there were always enough knights to take on the new recruits as apprentices, like what Gedgrave and Malahide are doing. But, now we have too many young men that want to join the knighthood and not enough knights to train them. So, I'm going to try training a group of them at the same time. And, I think it'll be easier out on the plains where we will have monsters to supplement the usual training sessions. Give them more hands-on experience."

"Sounds fun."

"Sounds like a lot of work. Not everyone is knight material, you know. Before I could keep them on as a permanent apprentice, but now... I think I'm going to have to organize another group entirely. A sort of infantry to supplement the army, I suppose." He shook his head. "In any case, I really should be going. It's getting late and I still have a lot to do before we head out tonight. By your leave," Steiner said, bowing as he excused himself and exited the room.

Zidane watched him go, cocking his head to the side pensively. "Field training, huh?"

. . .

Steiner awoke as the sun rose, the first rays of dawn peeking through the tent flap. He pushed himself up off his cot, yawning widely as he dressed for the day. It had taken a little longer than he had anticipated to get camp set up last night and everyone got to bed late. He wasn't looking forward to a day of dealing with surly men, but he wasn't about to start the training by bending the rules. He had just started shaving when a commotion just outside his tent caught his attention.

"Captain Steiner! Captain Steiner! We found an intruder, sir!" a young, enthusiastic voice called.

"Yeah, we captured him all by ourselves!" a second voice piped up.

"Private Ward! Private Phillips! What is all this about?" Steiner recognized the voice of one of his lieutenants, Derek Corbett.

"Lieutenant Corbett, sir! We found this suspicious character skulking around the perimeter, sir!" Ward explained fervently.

"Well, he wasn't really skulking- walking, more like," Phillips piped up.

"Yeah, but he was doin' it in a real suspicious way!" Ward exclaimed.

"Suspicious how?" Corbett droned, clearly unimpressed thus far.

"Well, he came running up to us on this chocobo-"

"-and just started talking to us, like he's known us for years-"

"-saying that he'd been looking all over for us all morning-"

"-and demanded we take him to our leader!"

"He didn't say that, Ward."

"Close enough," Ward defended. "He said he wanted to talk to Captain Steiner right away." The private lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "We figure he might be an assassin!"

"Because assassins always waltz right into camp and ask to speak to the Captain," Corbett replied dryly.

"Exactly! That's the last thing anyone would expect! See, Phillips? I told you he'd believe us!"

Steiner heard Corbett groan. "You were reading those spy novels while on guard duty, weren't you?"

"Spy novels? Uh... well... um, you see..."

"Teenagers," Corbett muttered. "I told you to leave those at home! This isn't some fairytale with spies lurking around every corner! Kitchen duty for both of you for the first two weeks!"

"But, sir-"

"Are you talking back to me, soldier?"

"No sir," was the meek reply.

"Good. Now, get back to your post."

"Yes, sir," they answered in unison. Steiner heard them walk away as he rinsed the last of the shaving cream off his face.

Corbett sighed. "I apologize for the rude reception, traveler. As you can see, the men have a lot to learn."

"Oh, that's alright," a very familiar voice said cheerfully, causing the captain to jump in surprise. "It was actually kind of fun."

Steiner quickly dried his face, exiting the tent and almost running into Corbett. He ignored the startled apology from the lieutenant, focusing instead of the grinning blonde standing behind him. The captain worked his jaw a few times before his voice decided to kick in. "Your Ma-" he began.

"Hi, Rusty!" Zidane chirped cheerfully, cutting the older man off. "I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?"

Dumbfounded, the captain held open his tent for the king, absently dismissing the lieutenant before following the blonde inside. "What are you doing here?" he blurted.

"Oh, I was bored at the castle, so I thought I'd come and give you a hand. Good thing, too, you look like you're gonna have your work cut out for you if the rest of the men are like those two." Zidane whistled. "They're hilarious to listen, but hardly what I would call 'knight material.' They've got their heads too far up in the clouds." He folded his arms, as if pondering something. "I wouldn't mind getting my hand on some of those books, though. They've got to be interesting if they can do that to a couple of impressionable kids..."

"You thought you'd come and give me a hand? You can't just leave like that! People will be looking for you! The castle will be in an uproar! The Queen-"

"Ah, you worry too much. I talked to Dagger before I left. She's cool with it," Zidane said dismissively. He plopped down on Steiner's cot, leaning back on his arms. "She actually thought it would be a good idea for me to get out. Said I've been moody as of late. Can you believe that? Me, moody?" Although his tone was insulted, his mocking smile suggested otherwise.

Steiner just gaped at him. "But- It's just- This is something that just isn't done!" he said almost plaintively. "The King is not supposed to-"

"Look," Zidane interrupted patiently. "Dagger has already signed off on this, you know I'll be a great asset to you and I wasn't kidding- you are going to need all the help you can get with this lot. Besides," he added, cocking his head to the side, "Dagger's overdue for a bit of peace and quiet around the castle. You don't want to ruin this for her, do you?" he asked, playing the card that was sure to crumble the knight's defenses.

Steiner's eyes widened. I didn't even think about that! The Queen must desperately need a break and has entrusted me to keep Zidane out of trouble! But, couldn't she have picked a better time for this? Field training isn't- it just isn't proper for a king to participate in! He shook his head. But, then again, Zidane seems to take great pleasure in proving that he isn't an ordinary king... He sighed heavily. "I suppose I don't really have a choice, do I?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at Steiner's obvious confliction, careful to keep the grin off his face. I suppose I should feel bad about playing him like a harp, he mused. "I could just order you to let me help," he offered. "If it'll make you feel better about the whole thing."

"No, I won't make you beg. I would be grateful for any assistance you can give me."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zidane protested, sitting up straight. "I said order, not beg. I don't beg for anything!"

"Really? It sounded a lot like Your Majesty was pleading to stay to me," Steiner remarked.

"Then you need to get your hearing checked out. You're lucky I decided to come give you a hand!" The blonde leaned back into a more relaxed position once more, his tail curling around his leg. "Although, I do have some ground rules."

Steiner bristled at that. "Now, just a minute! This is my training camp! You can't come in here and-"

"Chill out, Rusty, don't get your chain mail all kinked up," Zidane said, waving off the knights protests. "I really only have one thing you have to do and that is to keep my identity a secret."

"What? You mean, call you by a different name? That's absurd! No one here even knows you!"

"Exactly. You don't have to called me by a different name- Zidane is fine -but you can't go around saying 'Your Majesty this' or 'Sire that,' alright? I don't want anyone to know I'm the King until we get back to the castle."

"But, why?" Steiner asked, confused.

"These guys are as green as they come. They're going to have a hard enough time improving their skills without having to worry about possibly injuring the King," Zidane explained.

"Yes, that does make sense," Steiner said at length, folding his arms pensively. After a moment, he nodded decisively. "Very well, I see no harm in it. I shall forthwith refer to you only by your given name until we return to the castle."

"Alright, glad we got that settled. Now, let's go train us some knights!" he said, enthusiastically exiting the tent.

Steiner stared after him, shaking his head. "What have I gotten myself into now?" he wondered, following the blonde. The next several weeks promised to be anything but boring.

. . .

The End

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