If anyone asks, this is Midnightdiddle's fault. She wrote me an abusive-Vaan fic that worked and I wanted to try something equally brain-breaky for her. And me being me, it's probably going to start out as farce and darken into something actually serious later. Please send help ASAP before much more of this is written! And much love to Artemischan for helping with the title and summary of this part.

Comments, corrections and criticism are, as always, completely welcome and loved! After all, a little encouragement never fails to add a bit of inspiration... and I really mean this. Really and sincerely! I'm a big girl and I can definitely appreach good concrit when it comes.

This is, btw, a follow-up to a short earlier fic titled Seedling.

Title: Knots, Ties and Tides, Chapter 1

Fandom: Final Fantasy XII

Characters/Pairings: Penelo, Ashe, Larsa

Rating: PG-13

Summary: When Ashe asks Penelo to make a sacrifice for Dalmasca's sake, she had no idea that this was what her Queen had in mind...

The first time Ashe had talked about the plan that would completely turn Penelo's life upside down, Penelo had mostly dismissed it as a sign that all the 'seeing dead people stuff' her liege had been doing as of late had harvested the seeds of madness in her brain.

She could still remember that first conversation clearly, with the sort of perfect memory that trauma victims often had at the first sign of impending insanity. It had been just after the first time they had arrived in Garif village, after Ashe and Larsa had gone through yet another session of brain storming and mutual angsting and tragic eyebrow raising that seemed to be part of the bread and butter for the nobility of Ivalice. She and Vaan had been patiently watching the two bicker and Ashe have her usual round of I'mma-stab-someone-in-the-eye-before-it's-all-over breakdowns before plans that neither Vaan or she formulated were made and they were ready to be bundled off to some new and unexplored territory. And Larsa had somehow been there and apparently they were going to head off to Mount Bur Sword-in-Face for his sake and Dalmasca's sake and god-knows-who-else's sake. And all was as it should have been and Penelo had been turning back to take one last look at Garif village before they set off before the touch of a dainty but very powerful hand on her shoulder had thrown her off entirely.

Which only made sense, because turning around, she had seen said hand attached to the stern face of what pretty much had to be the core reason for their journey… and felt her heart drop right to her kicky booted feet. Because Ashe was… great, she guessed, in a lot of ways. But hers was not exactly the face you looked forward to for good news… well, unless you were capable of inhuman amounts of masochism like Basch, or something. And judging from the set of her jaw and the ominous light in her eyes (never mind that it was almost always there-- they looked really creepy right now), Ashe had Something She Wanted To Say.

All Penelo could do was hope that it wouldn't require use of Ashe's stiff slapping stance. She'd heard from Vaan of how, after experiencing it, Basch couldn't chew food properly for days.

"I do believe," Ashe began rather ominously, "that in light of recent events, we ought to start discussing some matters that might be Of Use To Our Crown and Country. And in order to do that, Penelo, I also believe that we must now speak of the Sacrifices We Dalmascans Must Made for Our Motherland's Sake. In Private. Where No One Else Can Interfere."

Penelo could all but hear the capital letters falling in place. Gulping and casting one desperate look over her shoulder (where, oddly enough, Larsa looked as though he were patiently waiting for them to finish), she wheezed out a sort of yes and let the future queen of Dalmasca lead her away.

It was to be the first, though not last, of her many, many mistakes.

True to form, Ashe started off with reams and reams of exposition and back story that Penelo had by now realized was mandatory for pretty much every royal she'd ever met. Ashe had started off by talking about the noble history of Dalmasca, about the Duty and Responsibility of the royalty of their mutual motherland, about the need for the Common People to support such a role… and many, many, many other subjects Penelo wouldn't have been able to recall seconds after Ashe had spoken of them.

Most of the time, Penelo had been content to nod along and murmur yes at the appropriate time and try not to set Ashe off and get her spleen sliced out for her troubles. If she had perhaps paid a little more attention, she might not be in the predicament she was in now. But Ashe, for all her great qualities, tended to be a pretty long-winded narrator and Penelo had tuned out around the time that she had begun to extol the virtues of her ancestors for providing strong ties for Dalmasca and forging alliances that would keep them safe from aggressive foreign empires and giving the people of their time a guide to follow and bippity boppity boo, Penelo wasn't really following.

It was only when Ashe had started talking about the purge of nobility conducted by the Archadians over the past two years and how she would need to start filling those ranks in once she finally regained her Crown that Penelo snapped to attention and starting wondering what it meant for her, right here. Though Ashe had her quirks, she didn't seem the type to just randomly drag people off in order to spout random facts about Dalmasca, no matter how much Appropriate Pride She Had In Her Country.

That was probably why Penelo was currently trying to talk through her astonishment and the lump in her throat and why Ashe was cocking one sly eyebrow at her, as though pleased that she had managed to surprise her subject after all.

"Are you," Penelo started to say, though her throat seemed unwilling to cooperate. "Are you trying to saying that when this is all over and we get you back where you belong, you want to make Vaan and me...?"

It was a crazy idea. It was ridiculous, bizarre and absolutely insane idea, even for Ashe, and it couldn't possibly be coming true here. Her parents had been shop-keepers and his parents had been potion makers and the whole idea of them-- getting titles-- and estates-- and being noble type people here was just--

But from the suddenly mischievous light to Ashe's crazy, crazy eyes, that just might be the case. "Not only that, Penelo, but I am also quite willing to make you in particular one of the highest in the lands of Ivalice."

Her mother had always told Penelo never to look gift chocobos in the beak but even past her enormous surprise, something about that struck her as vaguely... fishy. Penelo supposed that she and Ashe had gotten along well in the past but they'd never been especially close, not the way she and Fran had become. "I'm, uh, I'm honored, really! But... is there any reason why? Because otherwise this all seems a little, er, unexpected here."

There was suddenly a rather sardonic tilt to Ashe's smile. "Ah, perhaps you will make a better noble than even I assumed. Wariness is ever a quality we need to keep close in hand. And I have... well, let me simply say that I have noticed a few qualities in you that anyone in my future cortege ought to cultivate."

Huh. Unless Ashe needed a noble healer or fiend-killer or something when she became queen, Penelo still felt immensely clueless about what on earth she could mean. "Thank you? I think?"

Ashe actually laughed at that, a warm and surprisingly pleasant laugh that sounded nothing like the cackle she usually tended to give when killing fugly things very, very quickly. That, at least, was reassuring. "I mean where your budding diplomatic capabilities are concerned, mostly. I'm especially impressed by how quickly you manage to... endear yourself to certain very interesting people. For example, I speak of the special connection you seem to have forged with Lord Larsa Solidor during the few weeks you spent together at Bhujerba, before we were even properly introduced. The two of you are quite close now, yes?"

"Oh," Penelo said, and suddenly knew just what to say. She supposed she quite liked Larsa, bossy though he could be, and it would make sense for Ashe to want to learn more about him considering the way he was asking them to schlep around Ivalice. "I-- yeah, I guess we are, a bit. Larsa's very nice, though a little bossy and he's a lot better than I expected him to be considering his, well, family."

A muscle in Ashe's cheek twitched even as she forced another smile. Penelo felt her pain. She didn't particularly feel any great affection for Larsa's kin either. "I'm grateful to hear of that. Vo-- others have spoken well of him and I can only hope to trust him more in the future. And he was kind to you during your stay?"

Penelo could almost feel herself blushing at the implications, which was really just silly. "Yeah, he was. Larsa took care of... well, pretty much everything for me when we were staying at your uncle's estate. And wherever he went, he pretty much took me along, even if it was just to the market-place. He wouldn't even let that awful Judge Ghis talk to me, which I'm still grateful for."

Ashe's eyes suddenly seemed to pierce right through her. "So I suppose you would consider him a dear friend to you?"

Penelo found herself nodding slowly, cautiously, trying not to set Ashe off. "I guess so. I mean, we haven't known each other for too long but I do like him. But what does that have to do with...?"

"Good," Ashe whispered, almost to herself, as though she had not even heard Penelo's timid question. "That's a better starting point than most have, after all." And then, as though feeling the weight of Penelo's eyes on her, she forged on. "These are trying times, Penelo, and I may have to come to ask favors of you that you may be... leery of fulfilling. But surely you must realize that this is a time that requires great sacrifices from all of us. Even when we did not expect events to unfold in this manner."

If Penelo hadn't been in the presence of her princess and future queen, she probably would have taken Ashe by the shoulders and shook her as hard as necessary until she began to talk like a normal human being. But instead, she blinked hard and said, "Maybe?"

Ashe smiled ruefully at nothing in particularly, possibly lost in the past or her memories of happier times or just her standard haze of blue-blooded crazy. "But do realize I would never ask you to do what I would not do for Dalmasca myself, Penelo. But I was happy, however, with my lot in the past. It was no great sacrifice for me then and, despite the age difference, I do not believe it shall be different for you in the coming days."

No matter how many private doubts Penelo tended to harbor about Ashe's sanity, she could still recognize her would-be Queen's thorny kindness when it came. "I... That's really nice of you, Ashe. Really. I'm not sure what you're talking about but... but anyway, you know I'm definitely willing to do anything to help you, if it'll also help Dalmasca. After all, it's my home too, right?" And the smile Ashe shot her afterwards-- the beautiful, thankful but almost brittle smile-- made Penelo almost feel as though she wasn't agreeing to something hopelessly strange right now.

"Good," Ashe murmured again, and let her hand rest on Penelo's shoulder for another moment. "Good-- because what I will need to ask of you soon will be difficult, Penelo. But I have no doubt that you'll be able to rise to the occasion here." And with that, Ashe turned and walked away to where the rest of their party (and Basch in particular) awaited...

…Leaving Penelo with a growing knot in her stomach and the conviction that everything might be changing for her, very, very quickly.

The slow walk to and through the Golgomore Jungles afterwards was, to put it mildly, somewhat completely unnerving.

Now, Penelo had always prided herself as being a pretty affable person. She wouldn't have been the Number One Sales Associate in Rabanastre for three years in the running if she hadn't had the ability to charm people with her innate friendliness whenever she needed to it. Hell, Ashe had just talked about making her nobility for just that reason, even if her reasons for doing so were still hazy. But even Penelo was willing to admit that being escorted everywhere by a preteen prince of a foreign empire was a sign of said charm getting a little out of hand here.

Of all the people to have apparently attracted… Life, clearly, had a strange sense of humor where she was concerned. But then, looking down at her hand intertwined with that of her newest friend, Penelo had to concede that it probably could have made worse jokes at her expense. And when Larsa turned to flash a smile at her and tuck her fingers into the fold of his arm, Penelo smiled back and let him do as he pleased.

It was funny, truly funny. Honestly, most boys that Penelo knew probably would have sawed their own wrists off before they let a girl touch them and infect them with their rabid, feminine cooties. But Larsa was surprisingly-- touchy feely, honestly, what with the whole grabbing her hands the first time they met and hauling her off to a Bhujerban sugar shack for protection and getting down on his knees to pledge his eternal protection on his family name and what have you here. If he had been just a few years older, she probably would have had to slap him up a bit for 'taking liberties' with an innocent (hah!) young girl. As it is, she vaguely felt it'd probably end up being i him /i doing the slapping.

But right now, they were strolling arm and arm through the cramped corridors of the Golgomore jungle, only occasionally killing fiends when they made it past the rest of the party. For some reason, Ashe seemed intent on letting them "have time to make a proper re-acquaintance." And Penelo probably should have worried more about Ashe's... for lack of a better word, creepy secret plotty thingy, but it was surprisingly hard to concentrate on her worries about Ashe's strange hints when she had Larsa chatting off in her ear.

And that was another thing that set Larsa apart from every other boy she'd practically ever known. He could probably dislocate an elemental's eardrums when he was really excited. And now, when he was telling her all about pretty much everything there was to know about his home, he was demonstrating just that technique.

Currently, he was talking about the beauty of the imperial gardens of Archades with all the confidence of a man twice his age. "And I am sure you will greatly enjoy watching the 'toujours pur' in our private garden blossom in the spring evenings-- I mean, as long as both my father and brother are able to attend. They both have such busy schedules and so many functions to attend… but I'm sure they will somehow find the time to meet with you, as is proper. As would be their delight, even. It has been a long time since House Solidor has taken in someone so charming."

Of course, just because Larsa could spew out words faster than the average esper could spew out blasphemies didn't mean he was making much sense to her. He'd been confusing her from the beginning of their conversation, from the first moment he had greeted her and asked when she'd be available to come back with Archades. Maybe 'those of House Solidor' had some sort of weird habit of collecting people they had met abroad?

Penelo tried not to speculate too much about why that might be the case… or what they did with the eventual bodies.

In any case, she sort of doubted she'd ever get a chance to see anything bloom in Archades, though she didn't want to deflate Larsa's dreams by saying so. Instead, she smiled at her new friend, which was not hard to do, considering how damn interesting he could be, even the things he talked about… worried her a little. "That sounds really neat, Larsa! But, um, what are 'toujours pur' supposed to be, anyway?"

This seemed to activate whatever part of Larsa's brain was in charge of exposition. "They're a sort of flower-- a remarkably useful flower-- that is cultivated within my families gardens. Besides being rather beautiful, it's remarkable for it's property as a natural 'truth serum.' More than once, it's helped those in our family find out critical state secrets through a proper round of administration."

…Penelo had no words. But from the earnest way Larsa was looking up at her, she had to say something anyway. "That's, uh… that's really clever of your family! I think. As long as all that… administrating… doesn't end up… killing anybody…"

It was rather amazing to see how intimidating Larsa's face could be in the next moment. "Of course not, Penelo. I'm honestly surprised you could ever believe my family-- or my father-- capable of such a thing."

"Of course not," Penelo parroted back obediently, sweat starting to bead on her forehead in a way that had nothing to the jungle heat. She held no great love for the ruling house of Archades, especially considering their hand in the war in Dalmasca two years earlier, but she didn't want to anger him either. Somehow, she thought it might send all of Ashe's confidence in her diplomatic abilities swirling down the proverbial drain. "I really didn't mean-- but anyway, what do those flowers look like? Are they big? Pale? Pretty?"

Larsa's teeth apparently had the supernatural ability to gleam even in near-dark settings. "Ah, not quite. They are indeed quite beautiful… but they are also very small, and very pale, and need careful cultivation away from the rougher elements to bloom properly. Rather like you, actually."

…She was just going to pretend that he had never said that last line. And that he was not currently beaming up at her expectantly. And that he was not pulling her forward quickly, despite her lagging pace. Not when he was only 13 or 14 or however old he was, anyway. "Gee, Larsa, that's… interesting…"

"Isn't it?" And without any further warning, he was tugging her fingers closers into his elbow. Apparently, she'd been losing her grip without even realizing it. "Please don't let go of me, Penelo. There appear to be many fiends in this place, even with the rest of the party guarding us. I very much wouldn't appreciate it if you somehow slipped away."

And that was another thing that set Larsa apart from pretty much every other boy she'd ever known. She wasn't sure if it was due to some weird notion of 'noblisse oblige' or wanting to rescue a real life damsel in distress or maybe just loneliness… but he was probably the most chivalrous soul she had ever known. He had been intent on guarding her and catering to her every whim when she had been part of is 'cortege' in Bhujerba, and had even asked her if perhaps she'd want to stay by his side a bit longer and travel with him to Archades afterwards. If Penelo didn't know any better, she'd have thought that he had a bit of a crush on her.

And even if she did know better, she was willing to ignore it. Much easier in the long run this way.

"That's kind of you," she finally said. "To, y'know, try and protect me from everything. I don't really think I've ever had anyone try and do that for me-- at least, not for the last couple of years anyway." That was likely due to the fact that almost everyone she knew and loved was dead-- but now was probably not the time to mention that. "It's been really, um, fun to have my own personal guardian. And you've been doing a great job as well!"

"Well, it only makes sense for me to guard you," Larsa murmured around another brilliant smile, "seeing as how you are my intended and all. It would hardly do to let anyone or thing that wanted to spirit you away right now."

Penelo blinked at him slightly. Perhaps she had heard him wrong. He couldn't have possibly meant… "You intended to…?"

Larsa blinked back, apparently now just as confused. "My intended, Penelo. You I are /i my intended, aren't you? After all, the Lady Ashe i must /i have already spoken to you of the marriage contract she is currently arranging between the two of us to foster peace for all."

It was probably a good thing that the village of the terrifying-amazon-bunny-women turned out to be very close to their current location. Poor Basch probably had enough to deal with already without adding on the frustration of having to carry her unconscious body all over Ivalice as well.

Author's Note: I feel as though I ought to warn any readers this might have sucked in ahead of time. I can't promise that the quality of this fanfic is always going to be high. But I set myself the goal of trying to write and eventually finish a multi-chapter chapter fic and I'm going to try to do it with this, since it actually has a relatively simple plot, compared to previous efforts. So please bear with me when the writing style gets patchy… and feel free to throw things in the form of pointed reviews when I get something wrong! This is a learning experience more than anything else, after all.