Royalty
What does it mean to be a princess?
By K. Lorraine
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A thanks to Elle (author of Lights of Deling and FFVIII The Return), for encouraging me to 
write this story. This story is dedicated to you, little sister. 
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Part 1 - Alexandria
Zidane Tribal felt a rush of relief as he saw her lying there on the floor, fast asleep, her hair in a 
black mess around her. For a moment she looked peaceful, too peaceful, in a serene contentment 
reserved only for the dead. But no, he would not allow himself to think such thoughts. Zidane 
bent down and stroked her forehead. Warm. Still alive. 
“Can you wake her?” Freya asked, her knobby hands wringing in anticipation as she glanced 
toward the door of the dungeon waiting for the next guard to come stumbling in.
“Dagger.” Vivi whimpered as he too dropped to his knees beside Zidane who had began to pull 
the princess into his tender arms.
“What did Brahne do to her?” Freya asked shaking her head in disgust. “To her own daughter. . . 
“ Freya muttered and trailed off.
It was at those words when the girl in Zidane’s arms began to stir. Her lips parted and she uttered 
a small moan. 
“Dagger.” Zidane began as his eyes opened wide in surprise. “Dagger are you alright?”
To his surprise, she shoved him roughly and fell out of his arms. The girl stumbled to her feet as 
she warded Zidane off with both hands. Her eyes looked suspiciously from Freya to Vivi and 
finally to the mysterious boy whose look of surprise had changed to hurt.
“Who are you?” She asked in a cracked voice. “I have no more Eidolons left in my body. I am no 
more of a use to you fiends.”
“Eidolins?” Zidane asked, perfectly perplexed. “Garnet what are you saying?”
Before she could answer, Steiner rushed in, his face red from a recent battle. His features bursted 
out in glee as he caught sight of the dark haired girl.
“Princess Garnet! You’re safe.”
But before Steiner could reach her, Zidane grabbed him by his arm.
“That’s not Garnet.” Zidane stated in a careful voice keeping his eyes on her.
Zidane left his three shocked friends and approached the frightened girl
“I won’t hurt you.” He promised as he gently took her gloved hand.
“Who are you?” She asked as she allowed herself to be led from the wall she had been backing 
into. “What do you want?”
“We’re going to get you out of here. What’s your name?”
“Sarah.” She responded carefully. 
“My name is Zidane Tribal. Nice to meet you, Sarah.”
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With their new recruit, the group of five made their way up the winding steps of the dungeons of 
Alexandria castle. 
“The queen would never harm the princess.” Steiner muttered in empty self assurance “I knew 
she wasn’t the princess the moment I saw her.”
“Don’t listen to him.” Zidane promised the girl who was stumbling along weakly. “Rusty doesn’t 
always mind his manners.”
“You little-“ Steiner began before Vivi jumped and pointed to the open door. There stood Beatrix 
with her Save the Queen held ready at her side.
“Beatrix!” Steiner exclaimed in surprise.
“Prepare to die, traitor.” Beatrix replied in a hard voice. “I have orders from the queen to take 
back your head.”
However, before Beatrix could begin her deadly attack, Zidane cut in.
“But what about the orders from your princess?”
“What do you mean?” Beatrix asked impatiently.
“We are here to rescue the princess Garnet. What about your sworn duty to protect the princess?”
Beatrix looked at Zidane for a moment with a ice hard glance. However, she stepped aside and 
allowed the group of five out of the dungeon and into the room where Queen Brahne stood. 
Brahne took one look at Sarah who stood warily beside Zidane and burst into malicious laughter.
“Sewer rat.” Brahne remarked at the girl before turning her glance to a furious Zidane. “I 
suppose you two belong together.”
“Where is the princess?” Zidane stated tritely. 
“Your majesty.” Steiner began in a weak respectful tone. “Please don’t harm the princess.”
“Harm Garnet?” Brahne asked in a feigned look of innocence. “I never intended anything of the 
sort. Come Garnet, these rats would like to have a final look upon you before they die.”
To the gang of four’s surprise, Princess Garnet stepped out from behind the curtain. Only Sarah 
looked upon the scene without shock. Garnet looked on her four friends without an ounce of 
affection. 
“Garnet!” Zidane finally broke out, trying his best still to believe that this was not what it 
appeared to be.
“Stay back, thief.” The princess responded. “I know you not.”
With that, Zidane’s face was crushed. She had killed him without ever drawing a weapon. 
“Steiner.” Garnet stated. “I order you to eliminate these traitors.” 
Steiner stared at her in complete shock unable to believe the order he had been given. Even 
Beatrix’s unwavering loyal expression was replaced with one of pity. 
“Princess.” Steiner answered. “I beg you to reconsider. He did save your life.”
“My daughter’s life?” Brahne answered. “The royal family would not tolerate such a disgrace as 
to have the life of one of their own saved by a peasant. What you have just uttered is blasphemy, 
Steiner.”
“I understand.” Steiner responded as he turned to his former friends. He stared at them with 
apologetic eyes, unable to decide what to do. His loyalty was sworn to a villain, a damnable 
smiling villain. He could not betray his title of knighthood to truly be a knight.
“Steiner.” Beatrix whispered too softly for anyone to hear. 
But it was already too late. Steiner squeezed his eyes shut and swung his sword blindly about the 
area where Zidane, Vivi, Freya and Sarah had formerly occupied. In her disarray, Sarah fell to 
the floor and laid directly underneath the large man’s sword. 
“Sarah watch out!” Freya cried out. Her voice broke Zidane out of the trance Garnet’s response 
had put him in. 
“Steiner! You idiot, you’re going to hurt someone.” Zidane exclaimed.
However, he had hardly finished speaking when a bolt of lightening fell from the sky and 
knocked Steiner off his feet. 
Queen Brahne’s eyes opened wide in anger as she realized that the pitiful summoner girl still 
possessed Ramuh. 
“Seize her!” Brahme yelled to her remaining guards. “I want that Eidolon!”
Beatrix broke out of her confusion as she stepped in front of Sarah. 
“Run. I’ll hold them.” She said indifferently, concealing her new realization.
“Thank you.” Zidane answered sincerely as he grabbed Sarah and ran back into the dungeon with 
her and his remaining friends. 
“You’ll have to fight me to get to them.” Beatrix told the Alexandrian guards who rushed up to 
their former general.
“I’m going back to help her.” Freya told Vivi and Zidane as they emerged at the bottom of the 
winding stairwell. “The princess and the queen are both treacherous villains. But Beatrix 
certainly has another side.”
Unwillingly, Zidane agreed.
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“Was she important to you?” Sarah asked Zidane gently as they sat in the carriage in their escape 
to Treno. 
Zidane shrugged as he looked away, more silent than he had been in a long time. 
“I thought she was my friend.”
“She has a role to play, Zidane.” Sarah responded as she twisted a strand of her long hair in 
between her fingers. “She can’t let her heart interfere with her kingdom.”
“I know that.” Zidane responded in a hard tone. “I just . . .” He shook his head in turmoil and 
closed his large eyes momentarily.
“I know. You just wish that it didn’t have to be this way.”
Silence. 
“Vivi.” Sarah began. “Where are we headed?”
“Treno.” Vivi responded quietly. 
“Treno.” Sarah said with a quiet smile. “I can’t wait to see the architecture there.”

End of Part 1