Royalty
What does it mean to be a princess?
By K. Lorraine
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Part 2 - Madain Sari
“So this is the sanctuary.” Sarah said as she and Zidane stepped into the peaceful forest. Zidane 
rubbed his cheek and glanced to the ravishing girl that stood apart from him in silent nostalgia.
“Darling, about that kiss,” he began but only left her chuckling bitterly.
“Your thoughts dwell on Princess Garnet. You don’t have to pretend to like me, Zidane.” She 
studied him as he smiled sheepishly in embarrassment and therefore - with his gestures - 
confirmed her words. At that moment, despite her resolution to make protecting her people her 
sole aim, she could not help but wish to cover up her summoner’s horn and to be Garnet for him. 
It was true that Garnet had an obligation to her people to play the role of the princess, yet Sarah 
could not understand how she could betray her own heart and reject the man who obviously gave 
her the most beautiful and rare species of unconditional love. 
Yet who was she to judge the actions of royalty? She was simply an ordinary peasant girl and he 
was an ordinary peasant boy. They had both out stepped their bounds. 
“You made it.” Zidane announced as he caught sight of Quina and Vivi entering the forest. The 
awkward silence was broken. However, before they could regroup, Quina suddenly broken into a 
mad frenzy of hungry lust as s/he caught sight of a small fluttering moogle.
A cry for help was suddenly overheard from the distance. It took Sarah only a second to 
recognize the sound of the shrill little voice.
“Eiko!” Sarah exclaimed as she broke into a run. She could do little good for the small girl 
hanging dangerously off the pinnacle of a nearby cliff.
“Sarah!” The tiny child hollered as she flailed her limbs helplessly in mid-air. “Sarah! Help me!”
Yet before Sarah could answer in her complete petrification, a voice beside her answered for her.
“Jump!” Zidane called out. “I’ll catch you.”
“No!” Eiko responded. “I’ll be a squished pancake.”
“Zidane.” Vivi muttered. “You are sure . ..”
“Do it.” Sarah suddenly cut in. “Trust him, Eiko.”
There was silence for a split second as Eiko stared indecisively into Zidane’s eyes. However, her 
decision was made for her as Quina suddenly jumped up and down, knocking a few rocks loose 
from the boulder holding her up. Eiko fell from the ledge and narrowly missed careening into the 
gorge as Zidane caught her by her wrist. He pulled her back up onto the soggy forest ground 
easily. 
“You’re my hero!” Eiko exclaimed as soon as she caught her breath. She embraced Zidane once 
before she turned her attention back to Sarah. 
“I’m so glad you are alright.” Sarah muttered breathlessly as she bent down to look Eiko directly 
in the face. “What were you doing here anyway? Didn’t I tell you to stay home until I got back?”
“Sarah, you were gone for so long. I was worried that you were never coming back. I was so 
lonely.” Eiko responded with tears welling up her large blue eyes. “I missed you so much.”
“It’s okay.” Sarah responded as she hugged Eiko to her bosom. “I’m back now. You’re not alone 
anymore.”
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“So when are you two getting married?” Eiko asked Zidane as they entered the ruins of Madain 
Sari. Zidane looked down at the earnest face of the tiny summoner’s girl. She gave him a wide 
smile showing him her mouth of pearly teeth.
“I always thought Sarah deserved a knight on a white horse but I guess you’ll do.”
“Sarah is your sister isn’t she?” Zidane asked her tenderly.
“Sarah is everything to me.” Eiko responded. “Ever since grandpa died.”
“I’m sorry.” Zidane responded as he scanned the pathway cutting through the rubbish waiting for 
his friends to return. To his relief, Sarah came strolling from the distance just in time. Vivi and 
Quina were not with her.
“Are you going to answer my question?” Eiko asked again.
“Hmm?”
“When are you two getting married? Are you going to live with us? Or do you have a place of 
your own? Because you can live with us, you know, I’m a great home maker.”
“Eiko.” Sarah scolded which only made the small girl place her hands on her hips in an assertive 
stance.
“I’m just checking out your guy, Sarah, making sure he’s good enough for my sister.”
“Eiko, Zidane has someone already. Now stop this nonsense and go help the moogles make 
dinner.” Sarah responded in a patient tone.
Eiko looked up at Zidane with a disappointed pout. 
“You led me on all this time? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Eiko!” Sarah said placed her hands on her hips in a mirror stance. Eiko stuck her tongue out at 
Zidane and ran away.
“I’m sorry.” Sarah said in that awkward moment.
“Does she do that to every man you bring home?” Zidane asked in good humor.
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never brought anyone else here before.”
Zidane grew silent as he sobered up to her dismal expression. “I’m sorry about what happened to 
your grandfather.”
Sarah waved away his comment.
“Is this place your home?” Zidane asked as he glanced at the dusty ruins of what was once a 
great city. A city she had no memories of except in its present state.
“I know. It looks like a pile of rubbish.” Sarah replied. “But this is my domain and I belong 
here.”
“The citizens here must be awfully lucky to have such a kind princess.”
Sarah grinned mournfully at the boy. Her eyebrows lowered, framing her large desolate eyes. 
“Yes to the bugs, moogles and flies that live here. I am the queen of cockroaches.”
“Sarah you know I didn’t mean that.” Zidane answered as he realized his mistake.
“It’s alright.” She answered as she reached out in an unorthodox gesture of warm and took his 
hand. “Come on, let’s get back and eat, you must be starving.”
*****
“It’s princess Garnet, isn’t it?” Eiko asked Zidane over dinner. Vivi looked up somewhat 
nervously but Quina kept on eating as swiftly as ever. Sarah glared at Eiko and silently willed 
her to drop the subject.
“You’re in love with the princess. Vivi told me.”
“I knew the princess for a little while.” Zidane answered this time in a nonchalant tone. But he 
could not convince Eiko.
“What’s the use of being clothed in a garb of royalty when you could be clothed in the robe of 
love?” Eiko asked outright.
“Eiko.” Sarah choked out unable to believe her little sister’s direct question.
“I don’t think I have either.” Zidane answered playfully.
“My sister loves you, Zidane.”
With that Zidane’s face suddenly grew heavy as his eyes fell on Sarah who was turning red from 
humiliation. Without another word, Sarah got up and left the table, leaving behind an 
uncomfortable silence broken only by the loud smack of Quina’s tongue as the being devoured 
the dinner feast without any impression that anything was amiss. 
*****
It was the next morning when Zidane realized that Sarah was no where about. Upon asking Eiko, 
the small child merely shrugged and announced cryptically that if he really wanted to find her, he 
would. 
He found out soon enough what she meant as he realized that she did not mean for him to follow 
his will but rather - his ears. A melody fluttered out of the deep inlet of Madain Sari. It dissipated 
into the air bidding him to find the source of the sweet perfume. As he walked the thought 
entered his mind that even if that Eiko said was true, that if Sarah really did like him, he would 
be betraying the elder sister just by being with her. If only she did not look so much like Garnet 
he wouldn’t feel compelled to dream of Garnet in her presence. 
“I thought you would leave without me.” Sarah whispered tentatively. “After what happened 
over dinner last night.”
“I know I was a jerk last night.” Zidane responded. He smiled and cocked his head at her. “Will 
you forgive me?”
“For what?”
“For messing up the lines. That phrase about being clothed in love, it’s from that play by Avon 
right? I always forget what comes after that line.”
Sarah chuckled.
“Eiko is a sweet kid. Maybe we should take her along with us in our travels.”
“Us?”
“You don’t plan to desert the team do you?”
“No, of course not.” Sarah replied too abruptly. 
“Good because I’m really getting used to having such a cute girl following me around.”
“You should stop flirting with me.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t love me. You are in love with a princess.”
“I-“
“It’s obvious, Zidane. You don’t need to deny it. I won’t pretend to be able to compete with 
Princess Garnet. How can I ever measure up to royalty?”
“Sarah, Garnet far above me in every possible way. I would better love a dream.” 
“No.” Sarah answered looking away. “She will come around, soon. And when she does you’ll 
search your heart and realize that only she can put those broken pieces back together. That’s just 
the way it is, you will see.”
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End of Part 2