Final Fantasy Frontier 6 (Patreon)

'Damn, she's fast...' thought Andrew, convincing himself Garnet was simply fast and that he hadn't lost her. Fortunately, once he reached the backside of the palace, connecting to an ornate ferry station, he caught the briefest glimpse of her rounding the corner to the Eastern Tower, the destination he had 'predicted.'

Running across the grass instead of following the marked path, Andrew quickly reached the tower, reducing the distance between him and the Princess to just a few meters.

"Wait...!" shouted Andrew, startling the hooded figure quite a bit. Instead of stopping, however, she began to run even faster.

'Of course...' grumbled Andrew, leaning forward as the world around him gradually slowed to a crawl. His hands moved to touch each piece of the armor he was wearing, storing it within his Inventory and allowing him to feel much lighter as he cut the chain keeping the gate behind him open, darted forward, and overtook the Princess in the blink of an eye.

Not expecting Andrew to blast past her like a tempest, Garnet nearly ran into him but stopped herself just in time, her strangely shimmering brown eyes sizing him up before she remarked, "You're not one of the Kingdom's Knights..."

"I'm also not an enemy," assured Andrew, raising his empty hands to show he had no weapons nor a desire to attack.

"Then, who are you...?" asked Garnet, pulling back her hood to reveal her face. She was a little young for Andrew's taste, but her beauty caught him off guard, causing his brows to raise and mouth to open soundlessly for a fleeting moment.

Quickly regaining his senses, Andrew explained, "I'm part of the Tantalus Theater Troupe. A certain someone in Lindblum asked us to escort you to him..."

Blinking in surprise, Garnet asked, "Uncle Cid sent you...?"

Adopting a slightly awkward smile, Andrew replied, "We weren't told who, exactly, but considering you're his Grandniece, it's fair to assume he's the one who put in the request. Either way, it's our job to see you safely to the Grand Castle of Lindblum."

Though she seemed delighted by Andrew's words, Garnet quickly got a hold of herself, adopting a standoffish expression as she asked, "How can I know you're telling the truth?"

Shaking his head and shrugging, Andrew replied, "You'll just have to trust me. Besides, didn't you sneak over here to use one of the pennant lines to swing down onto the Prima Vista? Stowing away is a lot more comfortable when you're regarded as a guest of honor..."

Surprised that Andrew had deduced her plan, Garnet opened her mouth but found herself at a momentary loss for words.

Taking advantage of Garnet's stunned silence, Andrew added, "The most important thing is getting you on board without your mother, the Queen, or any of her Knights noticing. If the castle's defenses trigger and we get shot down, it's a long way to Lindblum on foot. Even more so with Knights on our tail..."

"Then, what do you propose?" asked Garnet, not quite trusting Andrew but finding his words fairly persuasive. 

"I'm down to try your pennant plan," said Andrew. "We just need to make sure none of the Knights notice us. They will have noticed your absence and should be combing the castle. To that end, we should probably get a move on. I'll follow your lead, so take it slowly and be careful."

Adopting a faint smile, Garnet offered a curt "Thank you" before slipping past Andrew and leading the way up several flights of a spiral staircase. The latter followed close behind, but he kind of wished he had taken the lead as it was difficult not to stare and catch glimpses of Garnet's perky, perfectly shaped bottom, periodically peeking out beneath the hem of her robe. The game had gone out of its way to support the notion that Garnet had a soft, pillowy ass, and Andrew could see why...

After reaching the top of the tower, Andrew called out to the Princess, advising, "We need to be careful we're not spotted from the other watch tower. Let's stay low and wait for the climax before jumping..."

"What if someone comes looking for us...?" asked Garnet, sitting down with her back against the interior stone wall of the tower.

Sitting opposite the Princess, keeping a respectable distance between them, Andrew replied, "I lowered the gate before I blocked off your path, remember? That might draw their attention, but they would need at least a few minutes to raise the gate manually or breakthrough. We'd also hear them coming, giving us 2-3 minutes to swing down before they get up the stairs."

Raising her brows slightly, Garnet remarked, "You're a very clever man. Might I ask for your name?"

Adopting a smile, Andrew placed his hand on his chest and answered, "It would be my honor, Princess. My name is Andrew. Andrew Ashford. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I am similarly gratified," replied Garnet, returning a smile as she added, "I have been preparing for this day for the past eight months. It's comforting to have someone as capable as yourself see me through it."

Exhaling a soft chuckle, Andrew mused, "A compliment from the Princess? That's a badge of honor I can carry for the rest of my life."

"Please do not tease me..." replied Garnet, a slight pout marring her face.

Shaking his head, Andrew asserted, "That wasn't my intention, but I'll be more careful from now on."

"I would appreciate—" began the Princess, but her words were cut off by the sounds of cheering from below.

"Sounds like our cue," said Andrew, peering over the edge of the tower's battlements to ensure a certain Captain wasn't running around or looking over. Fortunately, the other tower was empty, prompting him to turn to the Princess and say, "After you," while extending his hand.

Placing her hand in Andrew's, Garnet offered a polite "Thank you" before accepting his help climbing onto the battlement. Once up, she removed one of the durable cables bearing a line of triangular flags from the outer wall, grasping it tightly before swinging down with a resolute look, quickly replaced by an excited smile.

"There she goes..." muttered Andrew, summoning his courage to climb the battlements himself. He could leap upwards of ten meters from a standing position, but the tower was easily several times that. If the cable snapped or his grip failed, it was a long way to the hard stone and crowd below...

Understanding that he didn't have much of a choice, Andrew grabbed the cable and jumped, not affording himself the time to think. Fortunately, just as when he entered combat, the world around him immediately began to slow to a crawl. He wished it hadn't, but knowing he would have plenty of time to think and react if something went wrong was reassuring.

Fortunately for Andrew, his grip was much stronger than the Princess's, so he would need to release the line to slip from it. Unfortunately, he 'had' to release his grip near the end of his swing, allowing him to land atop one of the cloth canopies of the Prima Vista, specifically the one above where the orchestra was playing.

After awkwardly descending the fabric and dropping down next to the awaiting Princess, Andrew was a little taken aback when she asked him, "What now?" with a glimmer of excitement still visible in her eyes. 

Recovering quickly, Andrew smiled and answered, "Now we head inside, and I show you to your room. It's not exactly a royal suite, but there's a compartment you can hide in if or when the Knights choose to search the ship."

"Then, I shall trust you to lead the way," said Garnet, stepping aside and gesturing with her right hand. Her behavior made Andrew feel more than a little uncomfortable, but he quickly nodded and replied, "Leave it to me," before leading the way into the Prima Vista's spacious interior. The room they had prepared for her was conveniently close to where the orchestra was playing, so Andrew showed her to it, feeling awkward once they were inside.

"Is this a storage room...?" asked Garnet, looking around at the various bits and baubles littering her so-called room.

"If we prepared a proper room and the Knights seized the ship, it would be difficult to explain," excused Andrew. "Once we set out, we can move you someplace more...appropriate."

Shaking her head, Garnet calmly assured, "No, this is more than enough. I originally intended to stow away, so I won't nitpick even if I have to sleep in a barrel."

"Then let me show you how to access the hidden compartment, and then I'll go inform the others you're onboard," said Andrew, carefully stepping past Garnet to show her where the compartment was located, the interior of a massive, incredibly heavy drum. There was even a blanket, a pillow, a basket of fruit, a large decanter, and a capped porcelain 'vase' ready and waiting, just in case the search lasted for several hours.

Seeing the 'accommodations' that had been made for her, a faint red hue colored Garnet's cheeks. Her expression remained dignified, however, as she remarked, "It appears you were telling the truth about coming here to escort me to Lindblum..."

"I try not to make a habit of lying," replied Andred. "Well, unless it's to protect someone..." he added, pulling out a key from his 'pocket' and explaining, "This is a spare key to this room. I'm not planning to lock it when I head out to inform the others you're on board, but you're free to do so if it makes you feel more secure."

Accepting the key with a smile, Garnet inspected it as she remarked, "Clever, compassionate, and chivalrous...you have all the trappings of a skilled negotiator. That, or an exceptionally talented con artist..."

Punctuating her statement, Garnet approached the door, confirming the spare key could both lock and unlock it.

"Satisfied...?" asked Andrew, crossing his arms and raising his right brow.

"Prudence is rarely a bad thing..." countered Garnet, turning back to face Andrew as she added, "Thank you for seeing me this far. Your Troupe has been forced into a perilous situation due to my Kingdom's internal affairs. I assume you will be duly compensated for your troubles, but once this matter is behind us, know that I would not turn you away if you came to Alexandra in search of employment. You don't appear to be significantly older than me, so if your present capabilities are a reliable indication, you could have a bright future ahead of you."

Though he was fairly certain the Princess was trying to buy his loyalty to guarantee her safety, Andrew didn't mind, bowing his head as he replied, "It would be my honor, Princess."

"Then I shall trust you to see me safely to Lindblum," countered Garnet, returning the spare key to Andrew as she added, "Lock the door on your way out. If the Knights search this area and find me, it would be difficult to explain why I have such an article on me."

Accepting the key, Andrew raised his right brow and questioned, "Are you planning to pretend you're a stowaway?"

"That was my intention from the start," contended Garnet. "Now, go. I'll not prevent you from reporting my presence to the leader of your Troupe but keep it a secret from as many others as you can. Once we are safely in the sky, I will reveal myself, therefore."

"I understand..." replied Andrew, closing his hand around the key to form a fist. He didn't know if it was because she was a Princess or some other reason, but Garnet exuded an invisible 'aura' that made words remarkably compelling. Thus, even though he felt he had derailed the canon plot, Andrew moved with conviction, dutifully securing the door to the storage room and making his way down the nearby stairs to meet with Zidane and await the end of the play...

...

..

.