Author's Note: This is taken place directly after the events of the game... DO NOT READ unless you have finished the game, unless you want spoilers. Also, I wrote this before any sequel to the game came out.
My apologies if the first few chapters seem boring... The real action starts on chapter four... I'd appreciate reviews, good and bad!
Brief Summary: Newly Queen, Ashe finds herself still struggling with the temptation of power as a new threat arrives to end the world. Will greed get the best of her, or can she and her friends save Ivalice together? Ashe must make a sacrifice with only one outcome: Give up the throne for power, give up power for peace, or give them both up for love. Ashe x Balthier pairing with a slight Vaan x Penelo. WARNING: character deaths.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story or Final Fantasy XII, they belong to SquarEnix.
Of Blood and Honor
Chapter One: Daughter of Dalmasca
The princesses eyes were kept gently shut while her mind was flooded of thoughts of her former life. She could hear talking, but it sounded so distant to her. She knew this was an important day for her, for all of her people, and for history itself, yet she could not allow herself to focus solely on the task at hand. She could only picture the most difficult moments in her recent history and who had been there to help her through them. Basch, Vaan, Balthier, Fran, and Penelo... She was indeed curious to turn and see if they watched from the audience, but understood it was improper of her to do as such.
Taking a long, deep breath, she allowed her eyes to open. She had been kneeling on thinly carpeted ground for an hour now, and her legs were aching in a terrible way. But she understood that being part of royalty had such consequences. Fighting the urge to rub her neck, which was bent as she rightly looked at the ground, she bit the side of her tongue instead in order to ignore the aches and pains in which she felt. It was early in the day, not yet noon, and the princess had been awake since dawn.
Concentrate on the task at hand, she commanded herself. This is an important and exultant day for all of Dalmasca, and you must remain your focus.
"Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, please rise."
When the Marquis Ondore told her to stand, Ashe felt her attention snapped back onto the present. She stood, finally allowed to raise her head and look at the Marquis. Her heart pounded. After an hour of useless words and prayers and discomfort, she had arrived. This had been the moment she had waited ages for- since she was seventeen and newly widowed. Her coronation. She was finally able to call herself Queen of Dalmasca. This had been what she was fighting for. Her heart pounded harder in her chest, her excitement ready to burst out of her. She took two steps forward towards the Marquis, keeping her regal composure. She would celebrate later. She was not legally queen yet.
The Marquis placed one hand onto her head, and Ashe felt the pins which held her veil hairpiece in place dig into her skull.
"In the name of the Father, and in the presence of these Holy Relics, I hereby pronounce you Ashelia B'Nargin, Queen of the royal city of Dalmasca, and ruler of her land and her people. Faram."
A high priest who had stood next to the Marquis the entire ceremony stepped forward. The Marquis removed his hand from Ashe, and the priest gently placed a large, beautifully ordained crown onto her head. Ashe nodded at the Marquis, who nodded back. Now, she had to greet her people as their Queen.
Ashe merely turned and faced the vast crowd, who had been quiet the entire ceremony, now immediately erupted into applause. The cheers of joy from the thousands upon thousands of onlookers in Rabanastre was not a new sight for Ashe. She had seen it, most recently, when she had wed her late husband. She allowed herself to smile openly to her people, her heart still pounding fiercely against her ribs. She took the necessary steps forward and raised a hand to silence the audience. The cheers slowly died down.
"Today is a glorious day for all," Ashe said confidently. "We have faced many hardships through this journey, and have lost many as well. May the Father guide their spirits back to the Mother of all."
Ashe took note of many people bowing their heads in solemn prayer as they remembered their loved ones. She hesitated for a moment in order to give people respectful solitude. Her thoughts briefly trailed to her deceased husband and father. She missed them dearly.
"Today I stand before you, not only as your Queen, but as a daughter of Dalmasca," she continued. "We are all the sons and daughters of this peaceful and rightful kingdom, and let us make today a celebration that we are all brother's and sisters, equal and finally free. I thank you, my friends, for allowing this day to finally arrive. Each have contributed, and each rewarded by duty and fulfilment. I am Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, daughter of his royal Majesty Raminas, and I bid thanks to each and every one."
With that, Ashe lowered herself to her knees, bent her head down, and bowed before her people. She offered the gesture as one of gratitude towards them. As she looked back up and finally stood, she saw surprise and happiness on their faces by her gesture. The crowd began to cheer once again. The cheers grew louder and with more excitement. From every direction music began to play, and people jumped and played in the area. Ashe allowed herself to smile fondly and happily at the scene before her; her first true happy smile in years.
This had been what she had waited for. Freedom. Her kingdom. Her power. Her people. Happiness.
As she looked on, she felt the Marquis move to her side.
"Very well spoken, your Highness," her uncle congratulated her. "I never thought this moment would come."
"I dreamed of this for so long," she told him loudly, in order for him to hear her above the crowd. "It is here, yet it does not feel true."
"Over time, it will seem as such," he told her. He looked over to her and smiled. She returned his gesture. Then they both raised their arms and waved to the crowd of joyous onlookers.
Ashe stood before her vanity desk in her large bedroom. It was almost sunset, seven hours after she had been made Queen, and still she could hear music and partying in the streets. She peered at herself in the mirror, a tired yet proud look on her pretty face. Carefully, she pulled her crown from her head and set it on a plush red pillow on the corner of the table. Her eyes trailed over to a ring that lay on the table before her. Her former wedding ring. She had contemplated wearing it during her coronation, but knew that if she placed it over her finger, she would never again remove it. It was better this way; she could see it daily yet not be burdened with the sadness that accompanied her by wearing it.
"Rasler..." she whispered out loud to herself. She moved her hand down to touch the ring. "You should have been crowned by my side."
A knock sounded on her bedroom door, causing her to gasp and pull her hand away from the ring.
"Y-you may enter," she called out.
A female servant entered and quickly bowed before her. "Your majesty," she began. "I was told to inform you that your old companions await you in the royal meeting room."
Ashe's heart skipped a beat. "Thank you."
The servant exited the room, and Ashe turned back to the mirror. This was another moment she had waited for. It had been nearly a year since she had seen her comrades. They had sent letters to her, but she barely had time to return any due to her never ending efforts to restore her kingdom. She had requested a private meeting with them after her coronation, and they had all promised to be there.
That is, with the exception of Fran and Balthier.
She knew they lived; how else would she have gotten her ring back? Yet they failed to ever send her letters. In fact, not even Vaan knew if his sky pirate 'teacher' would come to see her. She prayed they would both be there as well.
Ashe straightened her hair with her fingers, finding them shaking slightly with excitement. She smoothed out her long white coronation dress. She would to have loved to dress as she did when she was among them, but her obligation as Queen disallowed her such luxury. Taking one last look at the ring on her table, she walked quickly to the door.
The meeting room lay one floor down from her bedroom, and it took a matter of minutes to reach it. The doors propped open, Ashe could see her friends before they saw her. They were all too busy talking to each other to notice her walking down the hallway.
Vaan and Penelo were playfully hitting each other on the arm while grinning fiercely. Basch was admiring a map of Dalmascan land on the far wall and had his back to the entry way. Fran and Balthier- Ashe's happiness grew when she saw they were there- were talking quietly amongst themselves, as they often did. Fran sat on the table in the middle of the room while Balthier stood with his arms crossed.
Ashe stopped in the doorway, smiling softly, waiting for someone to notice her. She didn't wait long, five seconds maybe, before Penelo caught Ashe's figure from the corner of her eye.
"Ashe!" She squealed merrily. Everyone's eyes were suddenly on her. Penelo walked quickly over to her, peering at her curiously. "Oh wow, you look beautiful."
Out of all of them, Penelo seemed to have changed the most. Her hair was longer, still braided yet more grown up looking. Her outfit seemed much more risque. Yet even though only a year had passed, Penelo had lost her girlish facial features and now resembled a woman.
"Hello, Penelo," Ashe said sweetly. Penelo offered her a hug, and Ashe accepted it yet found it awkward. She was not used to such touch.
"Tell us everything that has happened to you," Penelo demanded.
"In time," Ashe explained. "For now, I wish to hear of your adventures. I hear you are Vaan's partner, and he now owns his own airship."
Vaan beamed proudly. "I'm a real sky pirate now. You have to come on my airship today or tomorrow. I won't take no for an answer."
"Vaan, please," Balthier said in his teasing voice. He stepped forward with Fran. "Give the Queen some room. We don't want to over excite her now, do we?"
Ashe nodded at the pair. "I didn't expect you to come."
"We weren't," Bathlier smugly said. "But, then we figured we could find some decent loot in the castle."
Unsure if he was joking or not, Ashe looked at Fran.
"He jokes," Fran said softly in her monotoned voice. "He wished to see you as everyone did."
Balthier's eyes were on Ashe's hands, which were clasped in front of her. "Where is that trinket I gave back to you?"
"In a safe place," Ashe said sternly, annoyed by his wish to talk of nothing but treasure. "Where no pirate can ever find it." She said pirate in a mocking tone. Balthier scoffed and turned away.
"Ashe," Penelo said. "You should give us a real tour of your castle."
"Ashe," Vaan joined in. "We never see you, so it may be your only chance to come on my airship."
At the same time as Penelo and Vaan were begging her, Fran waved a long index finger in Bathlier's face, as if to say 'Shame on you!'
"Fran, please," Bathlier said to her. "It is what I do."
There was too much talking at once, and Ashe being as tired as she was, found herself unable to focus on one person's words at a time. She found herself growing dizzy and discomforted, and placed one hand on the doorway to balance herself. Luckily, her loyal knight took note on her uneasiness, and was instantly by her side. He placed one hand on her arm.
"Your Highness," Basch asked. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," Ashe answered. She smiled at him. "It has been a long day, after all. I... should have scheduled this meeting a day or two after my coronation. I appreciate your concern, Basch." She hesitated then corrected herself, "Judge Gabranth."
He nodded at her. "A new name, a new life."
"For us all," she reminded him, referring to her new royal status.
Basch motioned to the table in the middle of the room. "Shall we sit?"
"Let us all sit," Ashe commanded her friends. They finally stopped talking in order to listen to her. "I will send for food and drink immediately, and we shall toast to our reunion."
I have much to hear, Ashe thought. And I have much to say.
I can only hope they understand the decisions I must make in Dalmasca's name. After all, I am Queen, and my word is law. I will not regret my decisions.
Ashe left the room momentarily to go fetch a servant. Her friends took their seats around the rectangular table and waited for her return.