Disclaimer: I do not own FFXII or any of the characters therein. Just having fun with them.

Prologue

Vaan stepped out on the terrace where Penelo stood, adjusting the collar of his rust-colored tunic as he walked. "Man, the breeze out here is great! That ballroom is so hot! You know, if this party was in Dalmasca, the ballroom would have been hot, and the balconies outdoors would have been even hotter. Guess Archadia's got the weather goin' for it, at least." Penelo wasn't paying any attention, or so it seemed, so he went on. "It sure was nice of Larsa to throw this party for you."

"Mmm-hmm," Penelo replied absently, staring out over the city lights of Archades.

"So …" Vaan continued. "What's it like where you are?"

Penelo finally looked at him. "What? Oh." She smiled a little, her cheeks flushing almost imperceptibly. "I'm sorry, Vaan. It was hot in there. I just … needed some air, that's all."

"You're telling me," Vaan grumbled, tugging at the tight, uncomfortable finery he'd been forced to wear this evening.

Penelo laughed. "Oh, but you look so nice!" she told him earnestly. "Lucky for you that Balthier's old clothes fit you."

"Yeah, real lucky," Vaan mumbled irritably. He didn't mind the party so much -- the food was good, and it was for Penelo -- but he hated that it was such a fancy affair. But he supposed if Penelo was enjoying it, he could endure for one evening. It was her birthday, after all. "So where is Balthier, anyway?" he asked. "I mean, Fran was here earlier …"

Penelo smiled dreamily. "In Dalmasca," she said quietly. It wasn't common knowledge, and she had no desire to start any rumors about her queen and a certain heroic Archadian sky pirate.

Vaan nodded then. "Oh, right." Then he grinned. "Who would've thought, huh? I guess good for them, though."

"I can always tell when he's been to see her … she smiles more. I'm surprised more people haven't caught on yet. But I suppose it's better that they don't," Penelo replied brightly. "It's very sweet, though."

"Does … Gabranth know about it?" Vaan said. Even after two years, it was still strange to call Basch by his brother's name.

Penelo stiffened at the name, but tried to hide it from Vaan. "I - I … Yes, he does."

Vaan's brow furrowed at Penelo's sudden stammering. "Is he mad about it or something?"

"No, no, of course not! I mean, at first, he wasn't … thrilled, but now …"

"So why are you acting so weird?"

"I'm not!" Penelo said defensively.

"Your face is red," he pressed.

"It is not," she hissed, turning away from her old friend quickly. "And even it is, it's only because I am hot."

"Geez, turning nineteen has made you a cranky old hag," Vaan said jokingly.

Penelo whirled on him, mouth agape. "Did you just … you just called me a hag. An old hag!"

Vaan held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was only joking. You're not an old hag. But you are cranky."

Penelo sighed and brushed a stray tendril that had escaped from her fancy updo off of her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She looked carefully at Vaan then. He was her oldest, dearest friend. Surely she could tell him anything, right? "Vaan, there's something I -- I mean, if I tell you something, you won't say anything, right?"

Vaan's blue eyes immediately turned serious -- almost concerned. "What's wrong, Penelo?"

She shook her head. "No … no, nothing's wrong, Vaan," she said quickly. "I mean, you know over the past -- eight months or so, I've been coming to Archades a lot, right? There's kind of a … reason."

"You mean besides Larsa's big crush on you?"

Penelo felt her stomach churn slightly at the mention of Larsa. "Don't say that," she whispered to Vaan.

"It's true, though. Surely you've noticed. I mean, even I've noticed …"

"Vaan!" Penelo snapped. "Of course I've noticed, but what I'm talking about has nothing to do with Larsa …"

But Vaan apparently wasn't listening. "He's what, fourteen now? I bet when he turns sixteen, he'll have to start thinking about getting married. Ashe said that's how it works with royalty …"

Penelo's face had gone chalk white, but Vaan didn't seem to notice. "Vaan, could you just stop talking for two seconds, please?" she said through clenched teeth.

"… Wow, Penelo. You could be an empress. I mean, it sucks that you'd be part of the Empire and all, but it's different now with Larsa, so I guess it'd be okay," Vaan continued, undeterred by his friend's growing ire.

"Vaan!" she yelled.

"Penelo?" Vaan finally turned to look at her. "You look kinda … sick. You all right?"

"I'm trying to tell you something -- something important -- and you won't be quiet and listen for two seconds! And now …" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Just forget it. I'm going back inside."

She left Vaan on the terrace, staring at her back in confusion. So caught up in his thoughts, he barely heard the footsteps as they approached, and he didn't turn to face his latest companion until the man spoke.

"Was that Penelo?" The familiar timbre caused Vaan to turn his head. Basch stood beside him, dressed in an outfit not unlike his own, except the tunic he wore was blue.

"It was," Vaan replied to him, somewhat dejectedly. "Why aren't you with Larsa?"

Basch chuckled. "Oh, I can see him well enough from here. And you know, I'm not his only guard. Occasionally, I do get some time off."

"Right," Vaan said, feeling mildly stupid. "Are you enjoying the party, then?"

"As much as one can, I suppose," Basch replied. "Tell me, what did you say to make her run away like that?"

"I don't really know. I was just kidding around with her, about Larsa and how he'll have to start thinking about getting married soon … and she got real mad and took off." Vaan shrugged. "I don't understand women." He looked back at Basch, whose mouth was now set in a very firm line. "Hey, you look kinda like Penelo did before she took off …"

"Pardon me, Vaan. But I think Larsa might have need of me after all." He was gone without another word.

"Yeah. Nice talking to you … Gabranth," Vaan said to the man's retreating form sarcastically.

Basch scanned the crowd quickly, though it was not Larsa he sought. His eyes finally fell upon the tumble of flaxen curls as they ducked out of the ballroom and into a corridor. He quickened his step to catch her, and was very nearly out of the room when his young lord caught him up.

"Gabranth, may I have a word?" Basch just nodded, fearing that if he spoke, he might snarl at the interference. "I fear Penelo is not well. I know that she trusts you as I do, and will talk to you if something is troubling her. Will you speak with her on my behalf?" Larsa's eyes were imploring. Basch was his most trusted Judge, guard, and confidante, and he knew that Penelo, too, considered him a dear friend. They had been through much together, and Larsa would ask no one else to do this.

"Aye, my Lord," Basch said with a small bow. "Straight away."

He could see the relief in Larsa's eyes as the young man thanked him, and he immediately felt quite ill. "Forgive me," he muttered to no one in particular as he exited the ballroom.

He listened for the sound of heels clicking on the marbled floor, but only the muffled sound of a woman crying met his ears. His insides clenched at this. He so hated to see her unhappy.

He followed the sound to a small, seldom-used chamber. The room was cold, and lit only by one dimly flickering candle. She didn't hear him enter, and he took the opportunity to look upon her. She was wearing a ball gown in almost the same color blue as his tunic. Her hair was up in a pile of curls, and she wore the sapphires that Larsa had given her as a birthday gift around her neck.

His own gift to her was on the middle finger of her right hand, a simple silver ring fashioned in the form of a phoenix, the symbol of Landis. Nothing at all like the glittering blue jewels at her throat, but she had been overcome with emotion when he'd presented it to her.

She stood by the room's single window, eyes staring blankly out over the city. It wasn't until he closed the door -- loudly, forcefully -- that she jumped and turned to him.

It was a pitiful sight -- her face tearstained, her green eyes haunted. "Basch, I …"

"So is it to be tears and regret, then?" he said evenly, but not unkindly.

"Basch, please, just …"

"Just answer me." His tone left no room for argument.

She didn't say anything at first, but he saw her fingers run lightly over the ring and trace the outline of the bird. "We knew," she finally said. "We knew that this wouldn't -- couldn't -- work. And yet, we didn't stop it when we saw it happening."

"Could we have stopped it?" Basch countered. "Could you have -- honestly?" His voice was gruff with emotion.

She only shook her head. "No," she said wistfully. "And I wouldn't -- have wanted to. Even if I could."

"Nor I," he confessed, and she finally smiled faintly.

She held out her hand to him, almost shyly, and he crossed the room and took it, raising it to his lips. It was a gesture that he'd done repeatedly over the last eight months. It started out as an innocent greeting; it now meant much more than that.

"Nothing is written in stone," he said to her, brushing the hair off of her forehead. "There's still time for us, I'd say."

She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. It was a look that he knew would lead to his undoing, but he'd be damned if he cared right now. He kissed her, and she kissed him back, both of them needy and hungry for the other. She pushed him back, finally. "Not now, not now," she told him.

"Will you meet me later, then?" he asked, his hands framing her face, his thumbs brushing along her cheeks gently.

She smiled at him warmly, placing her hands over his. "You know that I will. In the garden, by the fountain."

He kissed her again, softly this time, and took his leave of her. She watched him go. For a little while, at least, they offered each other peace. That was all anyone could really ask for, wasn't it?

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the prologue. The rest of the story will be told in flashbacks, so anything you're confused about now? Well, it'll all make sense later. Thanks for reading! XD