章 9: Praise
Compared to the paradoxically long and short trip between Lindblum and Alexandria, the return trip felt like it passed in the blink of an eye, at least to Andrew. After their post-bedtime exchange, Garnet seemed to believe he was a genius playwright in the making, forcing him to write down all of his 'ideas' and offering her input on how he might improve upon them. And to think, before his death, transmigration, or whatever else transpired to allow him entry to the worlds of Final Fantasy, Andrew genuinely believed his Literary Arts Degree to be useless...
"You possess a remarkable talent, Andrew," attested Garnet, eyes shining as she read his outline for his 'original' play, the 'Sleeping Princess.' Even before their discussion, Andrew knew Garnet had a passion for drama and romance, so when she forced him to put an idea to paper, he defaulted to a few of the 'classics' popularized during his childhood.
"I really don't..." contended Andrew, feeling a mix of guilt and jitteriness as he wasn't used to compliments, especially from a cute girl.
"Nonsense," replied Garnet, adopting a serious expression as she looked at Andrew and asserted, "I have stated you possess a remarkable talent, and I'll not retract my claim. You may choose to accept them, but I shan't have them rebuffed or refuted."
Unable to argue when Garnet used formal speech, Andrew just smiled and accepted her misdirected praise. His silence appeared to bother Garnet a bit, but she quickly regained her smile and changed the topic, asking, "Are you familiar with Lindblum's three main districts? I hear the Festival of the Hunt is scheduled in the coming weeks."
"I'm pretty knowledgeable of the Theater and Business Districts," replied Andrew. "As for the Industrial District, it's primarily a hub for engineers to live and work, so I've never had a reason to explore it."
"And what of the Festival?" asked Garnet. "With your skill, I'm certain you could do well."
"Maybe," replied Andrew, shrugging as he explained, "I'm pretty confident in my power, but in terms of skill, Zidane is the man to beat. There is also a good chance that a female Dragoon named Freya will participate. If she does, the most I could hope for is third place."
"You know, there are limits to humility..." chided Garnet. She didn't doubt that Andrew 'believed' he was less skilled than Zidane, but the speed he had demonstrated during their first encounter was otherworldly. Even the General of Alexandria's military wasn't that fast, so she refused to believe there were many others comparable to the greatest swordswoman on the Mist Continent.
"It's the truth," contended Andrew, smiling awkwardly as he reminded, "If you recall, I've only been training and fighting for a month. Zidane is much faster than me, and Freya has been a Dragoon, one of the most proficient warriors in all of Burmecia, for five years. It would be abnormal if I were at their level with such limited experience..."
Furrowing her brows, Garnet admitted, "What you say makes sense, but I feel you are far more powerful than even you know. What you most lack is confidence."
Crossing her arms, Garnet seemed to enter into a state of reflection, her eyes looking downward and staring off into space for several seconds before she raised them to meet Andrew's, asking, "Would you participate in the Festival of the Hunt at my behest?"
"I mean, hunting monsters is kind of my thing, so I don't see why not?" replied Andrew.
Nodding in approval, Garnet leaned forward with her elbows on the table separating her and Andrew, causing the latter to feel increasingly nervous as she narrowed her eyes, smiled, and said, "Then, should you secure the title of Master Hunter, I will permit you to make a single request of me. So long as it is within the bounds of propriety, of course."
Without waiting for Andrew's response, Garnet sat back in her chair, a faint red hue coloring her cheeks as she hastily added, "Beyond that, I would have you escort me around the city. I was not permitted to do so during my past visits, so now that I am grown, I would like to experience the sights and sounds of Lindblum's busy streets myself."
"That much I can do..." replied Andrew, doing his best to appear casual despite his heart beating strong enough that he could feel the veins in his neck pulsing. Nearly all of their interactions screamed that Garnet had an interest in him, but for more reasons than he could realistically repeat, he prevented himself from believing it was true.
Seeing through Andrew's calm facade, Garnet narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. In truth, she found him more than a little pleasing to the eye. She had even permitted her mind to wander a few times, but as captivating as forbidden romance was, her duty was to her people. Unless Andrew was the prince of a nation outside the Mist Continent, the odds of them being wed were slim. The Nobles who financed Alexandria's expanding military and industrial complex would never allow it.
Realizing she wasn't completely against the idea, Garnet looked away from Andrew and muttered, "I suddenly feel a bit fatigued. Leave me so that I might rest before we reach our destination..."
Nodding in affirmation, Andrew responded with a curt "Understood" before rising to his feet and motioning to leave. Before he could open the door to do so, however, Garnet called out to him, asking, "Do you believe that stories like 'I Want to be Your Canary' and the 'Sleeping Princess' can take place in reality?"
Turning to look back at Garnet, Andrew held her gaze for several seconds before responding, "There is no such thing as impossible. What may seem like fantasy one day could become a reality the next..."
Surprised by the assurance in Andrew's unwavering expression and tone, Garnet blinked in surprise. At the same time, her cheeks became notably ruddier at the realization of the possibility Andrew had similar thoughts as her own...
Feeling goosebumps break out across his body, Andrew turned away and muttered, "Rest well, Princess..." before exiting the door. He half-expected Garnet to correct him for addressing her as Princess, but she stayed quiet as he closed the door behind him, leaned against it, and slid down, sitting on the floor with a dull 'thump'...
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Though the Prima Vista typically docked in the Theater District, not far from where Tantalus's hideout was located, the presence of their special guest allowed them to pull up and dock in Lindblum's Grand Castle itself. From there, Baku, Garnet, and Andrew were the only ones to disembark, greeted by a plethora of Lindblum's finest and a tall, middle-aged man with long grey hair, bushy eyebrows, and a well-styled beard that hung down to chest level. His regal attire, consisting of a brown overcoat with green trim and white cuffs, a white surplice, pale blue silk trousers, and shoes, made it transparently clear to all that he was someone of incredibly high status.
"Uncle Artania~!" exclaimed Garnet, ignoring the group of twenty-plus soldiers to run forward and embrace the aging man. The man, Artania Silverstein, also known as Lindblum's Minister of Finance, Foreign, and Domestic Affairs, was one of the most influential men in the entire Mist Continent, second only to Regent Cid himself. However, when Garnet hugged, his usually stoic expression was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a gentle, grandfatherly smile as he said, "It pleases me to see you well, Princess."
"It's thanks to the Tantalus Theater Troupe and my attending Knight," replied Garnet, releasing her hold on Artania to gesture to Andrew and Baku.
Nodding in affirmation, Artania smiled as he said, "It's a pleasure to see you, Baku. And this...peculiar young man is?"
Smacking Andrew's back hard enough to cause him to stumble forward, Baku bellowed, "This lad's Andrew Ashford! Tantalus has no place for him, so we sold him off to the Princess at a premium. If he causes any trouble, just let me know. I'll come over to give 'em a good smack!"
Smiling apologetically at Andrew, Garnet returned her gaze to Artania and explained, "Andrew was of great aid during my departure from the castle. I also believe him to be of sound judgment and righteous character, so I requested him to become my attending Knight. Please arrange for him to have a room near my own."
"So it shall be," replied Artania, nodding in affirmation before gesturing some of his men over, ordering him to make the necessary arrangements. Then, with a no-nonsense, purely business expression, he looked to Baku and stated, "Your reward will be waiting for you at the requested location. Be sure you and your men lie low for the next few months. But not so low that we cannot find you."
"This ain't my first rodeo," replied Baku, thumping his chest and taking one last look at Andrew, nodding as if to say, 'Do your best' before returning to the Prima Vista.
Wasting no time, Artania gestured with his free left hand, his right holding a thick, green-backed book, and expressed, "The Regent is awaiting you in the throne room. Ordinarily, I would request that you come alone, but I take it you would have this young man accompany you?"
Leaving Andrew a little taken aback, Garnet nodded affirmingly and said, "Yes. Though we have only become acquainted recently, I can confidently state that Andrew is a trustworthy and reliable person. If it came down to it, I believe he would stake his life to protect my own."
Directing his gaze to Andrew, Artania stroked his beard and said, "You must be quite the remarkable young man for the Princess to speak so highly of you. I'm curious...will you be participating in this year's Festival of the Hunt?"
Answering in Andrew's stead, putting him on the spot, Garnet nodded a second time, affirming, "He won't just enter; he will win. I'm certain of it."
"Hohoho~" laughed Artania, his silvery eyes glistening as he sized Andrew up more seriously. He could see from Andrew's reaction he felt pressured by the Princess's words. However, that wasn't necessarily a mark against him. Rather, if he was like this despite the Princess's ardent assertions, he was likely exceptionally talented but didn't believe it himself. If that were the case, it meant he had substantial room to grow...
Crossing his hand over his chest and bowing slightly, Artania's voice had a sing-song quality as he said, "Allow me the honor of welcoming you to Lindblum, Sir Ashford. And as I neglected to do so earlier, please accept my most sincere gratitude for seeing the Princess safely to us."
Mirroring Artania's actions, Andrew bowed much lower and awkwardly replied, "Thank you for your courtesy. And though I don't believe I did anything significant, I accept your gratitude..."
"If whisking away a Princess from her palace and discreetly escorting her to a foreign Kingdom is considered insignificant by your standards, I look forward to your future accomplishments," mused Artania, causing several beads of sweat to form on Andrew's forehead.
Increasing the pressure on Andrew substantially, Garnet nodded a third time, her smile as radiant as the sun as she merrily asserted, "I have no doubt that Andrew will exceed even General Beatrix in the future. It was my fortune to encounter him before Lindblum could recruit him into their ranks."
Exhaling an amused chuckle, Artania resumed stroking his beard as he glanced at Andrew. He suspected the Princess was exaggerating just a bit, but if her statement was true, they really had missed out. Luckily, he recalled that Tantalus had someone with features similar to Andrew's, a young man said to be the most skilled in the entire Troupe. Artania had taken such rumors in stride previously, but if Andrew was even half the gem the Princess claimed him to be, Lindblum might benefit greatly from scouting his more youthful counterpart...
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