*********** Love You)Chapter XI:Banishment-A FFXI Love StoryFollow

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is Chapter XI of my love story ************ (I love you)[/i], and will hopefully serve as a lunching point for the rest of this part. I must say...this having a desk job is really working out in my favor when it comes to writing O.o

Part I [Full text]
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/journal2.html?user=385748&mid=1118071855825271130&num=0
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Aki X
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=35&mid=1118072613119019026

I don’t own anything related to FFXI, so SE please don’t sue me...I’m just a poor white mage *holds up his Yukata* See? I am still wearing your Summerfest clothing I am so poor^^;;

No dedications this time.
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Chapter XI: Banishment
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"You are in quite an interesting position Commander."

His thin lips curled upwards into a smile as he then sipped from his Windurstian tea and let out a relaxed sigh.

"You disobeyed a direct order from me, something few of my Ducal Guard have ever done. But lucky for you, the beastmen have decided to attempt to wage war at the same time."

I was in the Archduke’s private chambers, just adjacent to the main palace itself. It was an elaborately decorated room, with gold-laden tapestries adorning the walls, and crystal chandeliers hanging from the arched room. I was sitting on the edge of a wooden seat opposite of the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Jeuno, who had draped himself alongside a sofa.

"I am aware of this sir." I replied, not knowing quite what else to say.

He gave me a slow nod, the smile becoming bigger.

"And of course...there is that small matter of that girl you were found with. Was she why you chose to disobey my direct command to not interfere with whatever might be happening in the bowels of the Necropolis?"

My breath froze in my lungs, and I felt a creeping fear slide down into my soul.

My face must have betrayed my emotions as the Archduke after a moment slowly closed his eyes and said "Ah...I can see that what I said was true. Tell me Commander...were you planning to bring her in for the attempt on my life a few weeks ago? Or were you simply going to 'forget' that little bit of trivia?"

His words cut deep into me, all the more so because he could guess how I felt.

I stumbled over a couple of syllables before the Archduke waved them off with a backwards flick of his right wrist.

"Whatever, its not important. Just know...very little gets past me these days Commander. You would be wise to not try to hide things from me in the future, especially of this sort of matters that pertain to my well being."

I nodded dumbly.

He set his tea down on the marble sidetable next to the sofa, being careful to place it on a wicker coaster. He licked his lips with the small pink tip of his tongue to catch any stray drops of tea left there, before focusing his attention on me fully.

"Did you know that yesterday thirteen thousand, four hundred and sixty nine children of Altana perished at the hands of the beastmen in their initial attacks upon the cities? This sort of carnage places me in a very difficult position. You see, it is normal practice in normal times to have a court matial for a soldier that happens to disobey a direct order."

He paused.

"However these are anything but normal times. For one, the world is at war."

"Therefore", the Archduke continued, "I am going to forgo the court martial, and simply dishonorably discharge you from the Ducal Guard, and hereby ban you from ever re-entering the Grand Duchy of Jeuno."

I got up out of my sitting position and stood up in front of the Archduke, the pit of my stomach dropping out into the ocean below.

"B-but my lor-"

"I have made my decision civilian. You disobeyed my orders, and you have to suffer the consequences for your actions. You have twenty four hours to vacate your mog house before I personally send out the Ducal Guard to forcibly remove and execute you from the Grand Duchy."

With that proclimation, he turned around and walked out of the room before I could utter one word of protest.

-fin Chapter XI: Banishment