The Love Inside - Chapter 1
YAAAAAY!!!! After nine months hiatus (The Sky Pirate's Apprentice continues before X-mas or the end of the year), everyone waiting this next chapter since the painful months. Thank you so much for the reviews and little patience of updating on FanFiction.Net.
While I'm busy my work or someones beta, I made a theme song for this fic and I fell in love with this old haunting song from one of my iTunes personal playlist library. As when I listened to this tune as I felt mesmerized, hot and bothered and hyper, and I'm beginning to falling in love again. I am pleased and fond the sensual lyrics and it's soft spoken voice of an angel blown me away. I'm talking about Sarah McLachlan and her song-priceless, and I want to make inspire as a songfic for my favorite FFXII pairings. If you've never heard this song...go search on google and listen. Enjoy!
Prologue - An Unfinished Fairytale
Title - The Love Inside - Once Upon a Time...
Rating - T
Characters/Pairing - Ashe and Balthier
Story - Spoilers set on the middle-game in flashbacks: Phon Coast (before Archades/Draklor Lab).
Summary - Once upon a time...there was a young princess who lost her love. After two years of loneliness and survival, she secretly falls in love again...love still inside her.
Songfic - I Love You (lyrics in italic) by Sarah McLachlan
Disclaimer - This fic is my idea. All Final Fantasy XII characters/plot belong to SquareEnix and the lyrics/songs belong to Sarah McLachlan.
Author's Note - This is for katmillia, first_seventhe, worbeest , phoenixblaze, deadlybeauty32, rouxroux, Refi-Lewise, sapereaude13, Tora Glory, Ashe83, DarkBeliverAnge, Izzy Lawliet, tashachan28...and the beloved The Balthier/Ashe Fan Community staff (livejournal). WHEW!
Chapter 1
Once Upon a Time...
Flashback
Memories of the past surfaced, bringing her back to the time two years ago, when she and the sky pirate had first met. They met as strangers at the sewers of the Garsmsythe Waterway, only to catch up with one another once again at the Archadian dreadnought Leviathan.
Then, before making their way to their next destination, the water sands in the Jagd Yensa territory, she urged him to steal her in exchange for leading him and her new comrades to Raithwall's Tomb. At this point, they were still little more than strangers.
Next followed the impossible, which was to change her life, as the sky pirate propositioned her so properly, while holding his hand out to her...it all started with the ring. An exchange to find something... somewhere.
"I promise to return it to you. As soon as I find something more valuable."
The ring was compensation for the treasure he did not obtain in Raithwall's tomb, where she successfully retrieved the Dawn Shard. Furious and hesitant for just a moment, she looked down at her ring. The ring was the only reminder she possessed of a beloved who was lost. Her prince was the man she cared for and loved to the advantage of both of their nations. He was expressly chosen for her Dalmasca and for his Nabradia. They had also shared a bond with one another when they were children and pledged to share their vows of faith as equals. For her, her love for him grew stronger. She knew now that they could have had a bright future together. Instead, they simply loved each other, compressing a lifetime of love into few, precious moments. And now it was all over...
She was afraid to leave the past behind. I have no choice but to let go of the past, she thought with a sense of guilt and despair. I have no choice...
Disappointed, she finally let out a sigh of relief. She slowly slipped her ring from her finger and placed it into his palm. Her eyes rose to meet his in this intimate moment. They paused until, embarrassed, she abruptly turned her eyes away from his and walked away from him.
She lived miserably for two years, as an innocent and sincere nineteen-year-old widow of a slain prince. She had never previously felt as though a certain life force were actually making her weak. Her greatest desire was to continue fighting for her country and for the safety of her people. But within her soul, she had sacrificed and committed herself to her husband for the rest of her life. Losing her husband filled her with grief and sorrow; losing her kingdom crushed the blood in her veins. But when she saw the apparition of her prince at Raithwall's Tomb, her heartbeat raced, and she began tormenting herself once again; she wanted to die right alongside him. Then, her fellow knight, comrade-in-arms of the Resistance, and protector from her childhood years betrayed her and died for the sake of honor. All seemed lost to her.
In her innermost thoughts, she immediately understood what she must do: Chase away your pain, Princess Ashelia. Do not despair. Wipe away your tears and stay alive for your country. The future of Dalmasca depends upon you. You must fight, Ashelia! Take your sword! Release the pain and suffering. Show everyone who you are! Your people are depending upon you. Your people await you as Queen!
Her father was no more. Her brothers had also departed. She was the only heir to the throne, and she could defend herself and fight. She vowed to claim her inheritance and to keep her country safe at all costs.
She was alone until, for the first time in two years, she fell in love again.
I have a smile
stretched from ear to ear
to see you walking down the road...
Her eyes were drawn to this elegant and mysterious sky pirate, and as she stared at him, the rich combination of his masculinity and attractiveness awakened in her a passion she had never suspected existed within her. Just looking at him, she could not help her enticement or her desire to appeal to him. She knew that he was Archadian due to the arrogant voice that she found disturbing, and yet, somehow, she became involved with this stranger from the Empire, who is not at all what he appears to be.
A pirate who chooses the freedom of the skies, he is an outlaw with a thirst for fortune and the richest of temptations around the ancient palaces and temples that he seeks out. And he has made himself available to the ladies from the past to the present, as she stealthily attempts to conceal her jealousy. He has everything that he desires and plenty of experience of his own.
She listened to tales about sky pirates told by her governess when she was a little girl: they were described as brave, free-spirited buccaneers of the skies, who travel around the world and escape to freedom, particularly freedom from the territorial wars, as they search for more valuable treasures on hidden temples around Ivalice than ever before. Others, especially many of her father's ministers, regard them as bands of thieves, warlords, outlaws, and wanted criminals, breaking and entering the palace in an attempt to discover valuable royal treasure.
But this man differed from the other sky pirates, for he was a pirate of the world who knew just what it was that he dreamed of, she curiously described him. So bold, sophisticated, witty, and charming, with a cocky and sarcastic sense of humor. His handsome aristocratic features possessed a certain fragility that left her breathless. His soft upper-class accent made her swoon. His skin was a light copper, like some combination of pure amber and gold. He was made of fire and steel, unlike anyone that could ever possibly be imagined. In her dreams, she wished to approach him with an impulsive fierceness, to be close to him. By Gods, she longed to kiss him...
Fool! What a terrible mistake these feelings were! Because she is a princess, for Faram's sake! She is afraid to reveal her shameful emotions, afraid that someone will threaten to take away her title, afraid that the people of Dalmasca will think that the heiress to the royal throne has fallen into the arms of a sky pirate. It would be a scandalous threat to a great number of people and would make her life crazy. Or worse. She might no longer be deemed sane, might be thought to be in the grip of madness and guilt. Her mental capitulation would soon become a physical reality; thus, she must act cautiously. But soon, if she just waited a short while, the moment of desire would surely pass.
Thereafter, they became closer acquaintances in the midst of a dangerous and perilous journey- despite tense conflict and misreadings between the two. On the Ozmone Plain, they arrived in time to help the rest of the group fight against their enemies. After killing one enemy and then another, she was ambushed by a Viper behind her, but the sky pirate grabbed her, and they fell to the ground together, as he drew his gun in order to finish off the Viper. She lay on top of him, her heart racing as his warm hazel eyes met hers. The physicality and seductiveness of his face unsettled her, as she feared that he might kiss her. Is he going to do it, she wondered. The moment quickly shattered; he stood up as his hand lifted hers and guided her to her feet. She thanked him in an awkward but polite manner, as he bestowed an ingenious and easy smile upon her. She walked away from him to join her companions.
They took the long roads of Greenswathe in the Golmore Jungle before reaching Paramina Riff. He graciously smiled at her again, as she tensely turned away from him, quite distraught. She felt a scarlet blush spread across her face. On that occasion, her feelings towards him surfaced again, and she tried to force herself to relax, to act tranquilly, rather than as though she found herself in the midst of a girlhood crush. Flirting with an attractive sky pirate enraptured her and made her quite temperamental, as usual. She made a decision, turned back to him again, and responded to his smile with a firm smile of her own.
We meet at the lights
I stare for a while
the world around us disappears...
After the excursion from the icy, frozen mountains of Bur-Ormisace to the warm, white, sandy beaches of the Phon Coast, she and her friends rested at Hunter's Camp before heading to Archades. She was alone, walking slowly to the beach, when suddenly, she tripped, but to her surprise, the sky pirate's gentle hand caught hers in his. She could feel the warmth of his skin soothe her, touch her, invite her. A strong attraction welcomed her. And then, she smiled firmly at him, standing tall, as he let her hand go.
She stood next to him, staring out across the blue skies and the crystal clear turquoise waters, where the two youngsters were laughing and playing on the water, while the knight/protector and the pirate's partner from Viera converse far less flirtatiously in the distance between the shaded palm trees.
She gazed at him, as she listened to this tale of his past. A pirate of the world who escaped from the past, his soul tormented. She heard about his true identity. About how he had been selected to be a judge by his good father, who had gone mad. And all about his father's dark obsession with the power of nethicite, until he approached the brink of madness. He lost his own father to a stone; their relationship could not last much longer. And no one could save him. From then on, he could no longer stand it. He abandoned the judges. He abandoned his father. And then he ran away from him, cutting his ties with the past.
She came to comfort him in the same manner in which she comforted her prince two years ago. She had behaved quite foolishly and thoughtlessly back then. She had refused him, afraid that he would reject her.
Just you and me
On their island of hope
A breath between us could be miles...
That warm evening, she sat alone on the white sands, observing the distant oceans. The evening skies grew dark and were soon filled with stars. Then, she turned, as someone approached her. The sky pirate stopped before her.
"Enjoying such a romantic spot alone, princess?" the sky pirate asked with humor. "All you need is a bit of company. May I join you?"
"Well,..." she said kindly. "...if you please, pirate."
He sat down on the sand beside her, as they gazed across the distant seas.
"I'm glad that you're here with me, princess," he said into her ear in a low tone.
"Me, too," she said softly, as her eyes met his.
They both smiled at one another, as they enjoyed the starry evening. The bright stars. The moon illuminated the sky, and its beams reflected on the distant waters.
They discussed their childhoods and their past lifestyles as well. He told her about walks with his father in the flower-filled grasslands of the Valendian countryside, about the sweet, heavy scent of wild berries and apple trees only yards away from his family's summer retreat at Galli, where his mother picked her fruit straight off of the tree, and about the clear blue waters of the lakes of Cyriliah, where his cousin taught him how to fly fish and a little luck helped him catch a large fish.
She told him about her childhood in Rabanastre. Her grandmother took her on her first tour around the palace. Her uncle taught her how to dance, while she stood upon his feet in the empty ballroom in Bhujerba. An equestrian, she rode her first pet chocobo across the waters of the Giza Plains, while two knights warned her not to be so reckless and to be careful of falling into puddles. She enjoyed riding with her father in his newly remodeled royal airship, as they traveled across the Galtean Peninsula. And finally, she told of her first meeting with little Prince Rasler, during which they told jokes, laughed, and played day in and day out, even hiding together under the dining table in order to steal a star fruit one time in the middle of her father's conference meeting, only to be caught and surprised by the royal guard.
They laughed and talked about anything and everything... gradually, their laughter died away.
"Are you sure, Balthier?" she said as her smile turned into a frown. She watched the reflection of the moon upon the water. "Are you going to see him?"
"I don't know," he said firmly. "Perhaps I may be able to see him again. You should meet him someday, but not like this...he's not the father that I once loved, since my mother passed away."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that," she stammered.
"It's alright," he nodded lightly, as he lowered his eyes.
"Tell me what happened? How did she d-"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry. Let's not talked about it right now," he deflected, at a loss for words.
"Alright, then." She turned her head and gazed down at her knees, away from him.
There was a pause. She looked at him. "When we reach Archades, I have a bad feeling about what may happen to you...Gods, this is stupid."
"What?" he asked in surprise. "Ashe-"
"Nothing. It's nothing." She looked away, as she gazed back at the sea.
"Tell me then."
She took a breath and sighed. Then, she spoke. "I don't want to see you hurt yourself, Balthier." In her mind--she lied. "I know how you feel."
"Princess, a leading man never hurts his feelings, you know that," he said with a witty grin and a simple, mischievous laugh. "I'll be fine. Really."
"I can help you. If you need us."
"Thank you. But I can do it for myself. He's my father, and I certainly have to face him."
She stood silent. "Does Fran knows about this? The whole thing?"
"No, just you," the sky pirate answered. "You're the only one I trust."
She paused and then smiled once more.
"Once you destroy the nethicite, will you be ready to move on to fight and restore your kingdom?"
"I do not know. But I have to."
"But you won't make use of the stone's power, will you?" He looked over at her.
"It's not the stone's power that I seek. I don't care about that. All I want is my true power to bring back the place to which I belong. Everything that I have cared for since I married him. It's a matter of survival, as I stand against the Empire of my will. I will stop the Empire at any cost. I will do whatever it takes to win."
"Now that will be good." The sky pirate whistles, impressed by her words and passion.
As she gazed upon the horizon, she stated, "When I was a child, my governess read me a story about a princess who lost everything. She wanted her kingdom back from her wicked evil stepmother who had poisoned her father. She didn't know what to do until a good fairy and her companions helped her and turned her stepmother into a frog. She reclaimed the throne and eventually married her true love. It was a simple fairy tale.
"In reality, I had never ruled the country before my brother took over." Her face grew stern, as she frowned. "Maybe I don't believe that the people ever wanted to be queen. I'm too young to be queen. But what would happen to Dalmasca without a ruler?"
"You will be queen, Ashe. Your people need a ruler," he said softly, as his eyes met hers. "Soon. You'll be a very good queen."
"Thank you, pirate," she smiled sadly.
"You're welcome, queen."
"I don't have the title yet."
"I know," he humored her, as he gave her a sly wink.
They both smiled and fell silent. The other companions had fallen asleep quite early. He leaned forward, resting both arms above his knee and inhaling the scent of the fresh tropical air. She looked up at the starry sky above. She was remembering how, as a child, she had stared at the walls of her nursery, painted with silver moons and stars.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
She lowered her eyes to gaze down at the sand. "Have you ever been in love before?"
"Why do you ask?" He responded with a question of his own. "Have you?"
Her face turned red, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm asking you a question, Balthier," she said in a small voice, as she gazed at him. She was aware of his weakness towards women to appear suave and proper. "Just having a friendly chat, that's all."
He swallowed. He was foolishly nervous, like a shy schoolboy. The truth is he had never been in love before, not since his adolescence. Nothing in his previous experiences had prepared him for such a moment.
As a pirate of the world, he had charmed and teased countless women in different places. He had enjoyed them and forgotten them. It was just a playful activity.
"No," he answered. "I've never been in love with a woman. Never in my life since I was very young."
She smirked. "And yet, you still love women."
"That is why you've been asking me these questions." He beamed at her. "It's just an act of flirtation."
"You're lying," she teased him and laughed in good humor. She had not laughed in two years, since the death of her prince. "I'm sure of it-"
He scoffed. "No comment. Thanks for the interview, princess. What about you?"
"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Have you ever been in love?" he asked warmly. "Was Prince Rasler your first?"
She never forgot about her time with her husband. As children, they had been best friends. As grown ups, they were lovers as well as husband and wife. "We loved each other as husband and wife in order to serve Dalmasca. I loved him as he loved me..." Her voice grew timid. In her mind's eye, she saw the day of the wedding on which the prince's homeland was destroyed. And then, on the following day, after the ceremonies and the meetings, the Prince was ready for battle against the Empire. He faithfully promised to return to her. She was waiting for him. Waiting for his return from Nalbina, desperate to throw her arms around him, kiss him, and welcome him to their wedding night. Waiting.
But he returned in a coffin, a lifeless body that she beat in a paroxysm of grief. She felt as though she had been shot in the heart and wept and wept.
She broke down. "He's dead now. Let's not to talk about it. It's all in the past," she said firmly and then turned towards him. "Thank you for the interview, Balthier."
"You're welcome, princess," he said, trying to comfort her. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Don't you worry...I'll keep an eye on you. I promise."
"Thanks. I'm glad that I'm on your side," she replied, as his eyes bored into her, taking her in deeply. She blinked and averted her own gaze, suddenly uncomfortable. "What I..." He stared at her.
She said nothing, looking back towards the sea.
Let me surround you
My sea to your shore
Let me be the calm you see...
She never knew just how long she sat beside him. She hugged her knees together against her chest. Her eyelids lowered as though half asleep. Hearing the sounds of the waves soothed her.
But then she felt the touch of his finger, tracing and lightly stroking a single hair of hers. Stroking and brushing it again, a caress of her right cheek followed. He cupped her delicate chin to move her gently toward him. Her skin and her stomach shivered against her spine. Her pulse beat faster against her chest. Her brown eyes directly met his hazel eyes, dark, warm, and tempting. She could feel the midnight breeze of the ocean waves embrace her. Her fragile body was pulled towards his touch.
Was she going insane, or was she being erotically hypnotized? It was as though a spell had been cast upon her. She enjoyed what she was sensing with her body and with her soul. It was like therapy. In silence, she remained calm and relaxed but she lost a bit of her control, as he leaned closer to her.
His lips touched her cheeks, softly and gently, like a fresh breeze. His soft kiss traveled across her skin and seemed to give her small, electric shocks. His mouth moved to her ear; she could feel and hear his breath against her earlobe. His touch caused her eyes to close, as though she were in a trance. His caresses traveled across the purity of her skin, admiring her trust in him and her innocence. He kissed her petal-like skin, exploring and experimenting from her eyelids to her collarbone, and finally his mouth landed on her lips. Slowly and carefully, his tongue explored the tip of her lower lip, as she moaned lightly. His left hand slowly lifted to stroke the swell of one of her breasts.
She had never felt like this before. Not like this. The fiery kiss. Yes. His mouth parted willingly beneath hers, he wanted to kiss her for hours and hours, wanting her completely. She followed him. Her hand moved slowly onto his shoulder in order to pull herself closer. Her heart was hammering violently. Her body collided with his as her right arm wrapped around his neck. She couldn't take it. She was with him. She wanted far more than his kisses. She wanted his hot tongue, his body, his soul...she wanted him. Dear Gods in heaven, she would love him...forever...
But then, the spell was broken. She moved her head firmly away from him, suddenly awakened from a dream of passion. Her mouth opened, as she breathed rapidly. "No, I can't," she whispered, trembling, trembling like a timid, frightened child. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have done that..."
"Ashe, I..."
"Please. I'm sorry," she said in confusion. "I-I need to be alone." She didn't turn toward him. Or look at him. Instead, she hugged her knees, looking at the ocean again.
He stared hard at her again, afraid to touch her, as though she were made of delicate glass. Losing himself in her fragile beauty, he hesitated and then arose from the sand before leaving her.
Oh but every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away...
"We're going to have to wake up early, if we want to get there on time. The weather will soon change,'' he said, staring at her intensely for a moment, as she remained seated upon the sand, hugging her arms around her legs. She said nothing, still trembling.
"Goodnight, princess," he finally said, hesitating slightly before he turned away.
"Goodnight, Balthier," she said, without looking at him or turning back towards him again, as he walked back to the camp.
But the moment had passed; she lowered her forehead to her knees, overwhelmed by guilt and shame.
She felt lifeless. Her arms hugged her legs. She had almost lost control when he touched her. She wanted to feel his body against hers. She pressed her hands to her face. She loved him.
And I forgot
to tell you I love you
and the night's too long
and cold here without you...
But hell! Someone was watching her mind. It wasn't an apparition of her prince that was watching her mind. Hell no! Her face was deathly pale. She must be mad. Loving a sky pirate would drive her mad. The cold seemed to chill her through to the bone. She shivered, wrapping her arms even tighter around herself, as her eyes closed for a second. Upon reopening them, she shed a few tears.
I grieve in my condition
for I cannot find the words to say
I need you so...
It had been either an act of love or an act of lust.
What shall I do? She thought in prayer, as the love she felt within her remained there still, waiting patiently.
While I'm busy my work or someones beta, I made a theme song for this fic and I fell in love with this old haunting song from one of my iTunes personal playlist library. As when I listened to this tune as I felt mesmerized, hot and bothered and hyper, and I'm beginning to falling in love again. I am pleased and fond the sensual lyrics and it's soft spoken voice of an angel blown me away. I'm talking about Sarah McLachlan and her song-priceless, and I want to make inspire as a songfic for my favorite FFXII pairings. If you've never heard this song...go search on google and listen. Enjoy!
Prologue - An Unfinished Fairytale
Title - The Love Inside - Once Upon a Time...
Rating - T
Characters/Pairing - Ashe and Balthier
Story - Spoilers set on the middle-game in flashbacks: Phon Coast (before Archades/Draklor Lab).
Summary - Once upon a time...there was a young princess who lost her love. After two years of loneliness and survival, she secretly falls in love again...love still inside her.
Songfic - I Love You (lyrics in italic) by Sarah McLachlan
Disclaimer - This fic is my idea. All Final Fantasy XII characters/plot belong to SquareEnix and the lyrics/songs belong to Sarah McLachlan.
Author's Note - This is for katmillia, first_seventhe, worbeest , phoenixblaze, deadlybeauty32, rouxroux, Refi-Lewise, sapereaude13, Tora Glory, Ashe83, DarkBeliverAnge, Izzy Lawliet, tashachan28...and the beloved The Balthier/Ashe Fan Community staff (livejournal). WHEW!
Chapter 1
Once Upon a Time...
Flashback
Memories of the past surfaced, bringing her back to the time two years ago, when she and the sky pirate had first met. They met as strangers at the sewers of the Garsmsythe Waterway, only to catch up with one another once again at the Archadian dreadnought Leviathan.
Then, before making their way to their next destination, the water sands in the Jagd Yensa territory, she urged him to steal her in exchange for leading him and her new comrades to Raithwall's Tomb. At this point, they were still little more than strangers.
Next followed the impossible, which was to change her life, as the sky pirate propositioned her so properly, while holding his hand out to her...it all started with the ring. An exchange to find something... somewhere.
"I promise to return it to you. As soon as I find something more valuable."
The ring was compensation for the treasure he did not obtain in Raithwall's tomb, where she successfully retrieved the Dawn Shard. Furious and hesitant for just a moment, she looked down at her ring. The ring was the only reminder she possessed of a beloved who was lost. Her prince was the man she cared for and loved to the advantage of both of their nations. He was expressly chosen for her Dalmasca and for his Nabradia. They had also shared a bond with one another when they were children and pledged to share their vows of faith as equals. For her, her love for him grew stronger. She knew now that they could have had a bright future together. Instead, they simply loved each other, compressing a lifetime of love into few, precious moments. And now it was all over...
She was afraid to leave the past behind. I have no choice but to let go of the past, she thought with a sense of guilt and despair. I have no choice...
Disappointed, she finally let out a sigh of relief. She slowly slipped her ring from her finger and placed it into his palm. Her eyes rose to meet his in this intimate moment. They paused until, embarrassed, she abruptly turned her eyes away from his and walked away from him.
She lived miserably for two years, as an innocent and sincere nineteen-year-old widow of a slain prince. She had never previously felt as though a certain life force were actually making her weak. Her greatest desire was to continue fighting for her country and for the safety of her people. But within her soul, she had sacrificed and committed herself to her husband for the rest of her life. Losing her husband filled her with grief and sorrow; losing her kingdom crushed the blood in her veins. But when she saw the apparition of her prince at Raithwall's Tomb, her heartbeat raced, and she began tormenting herself once again; she wanted to die right alongside him. Then, her fellow knight, comrade-in-arms of the Resistance, and protector from her childhood years betrayed her and died for the sake of honor. All seemed lost to her.
In her innermost thoughts, she immediately understood what she must do: Chase away your pain, Princess Ashelia. Do not despair. Wipe away your tears and stay alive for your country. The future of Dalmasca depends upon you. You must fight, Ashelia! Take your sword! Release the pain and suffering. Show everyone who you are! Your people are depending upon you. Your people await you as Queen!
Her father was no more. Her brothers had also departed. She was the only heir to the throne, and she could defend herself and fight. She vowed to claim her inheritance and to keep her country safe at all costs.
She was alone until, for the first time in two years, she fell in love again.
I have a smile
stretched from ear to ear
to see you walking down the road...
Her eyes were drawn to this elegant and mysterious sky pirate, and as she stared at him, the rich combination of his masculinity and attractiveness awakened in her a passion she had never suspected existed within her. Just looking at him, she could not help her enticement or her desire to appeal to him. She knew that he was Archadian due to the arrogant voice that she found disturbing, and yet, somehow, she became involved with this stranger from the Empire, who is not at all what he appears to be.
A pirate who chooses the freedom of the skies, he is an outlaw with a thirst for fortune and the richest of temptations around the ancient palaces and temples that he seeks out. And he has made himself available to the ladies from the past to the present, as she stealthily attempts to conceal her jealousy. He has everything that he desires and plenty of experience of his own.
She listened to tales about sky pirates told by her governess when she was a little girl: they were described as brave, free-spirited buccaneers of the skies, who travel around the world and escape to freedom, particularly freedom from the territorial wars, as they search for more valuable treasures on hidden temples around Ivalice than ever before. Others, especially many of her father's ministers, regard them as bands of thieves, warlords, outlaws, and wanted criminals, breaking and entering the palace in an attempt to discover valuable royal treasure.
But this man differed from the other sky pirates, for he was a pirate of the world who knew just what it was that he dreamed of, she curiously described him. So bold, sophisticated, witty, and charming, with a cocky and sarcastic sense of humor. His handsome aristocratic features possessed a certain fragility that left her breathless. His soft upper-class accent made her swoon. His skin was a light copper, like some combination of pure amber and gold. He was made of fire and steel, unlike anyone that could ever possibly be imagined. In her dreams, she wished to approach him with an impulsive fierceness, to be close to him. By Gods, she longed to kiss him...
Fool! What a terrible mistake these feelings were! Because she is a princess, for Faram's sake! She is afraid to reveal her shameful emotions, afraid that someone will threaten to take away her title, afraid that the people of Dalmasca will think that the heiress to the royal throne has fallen into the arms of a sky pirate. It would be a scandalous threat to a great number of people and would make her life crazy. Or worse. She might no longer be deemed sane, might be thought to be in the grip of madness and guilt. Her mental capitulation would soon become a physical reality; thus, she must act cautiously. But soon, if she just waited a short while, the moment of desire would surely pass.
Thereafter, they became closer acquaintances in the midst of a dangerous and perilous journey- despite tense conflict and misreadings between the two. On the Ozmone Plain, they arrived in time to help the rest of the group fight against their enemies. After killing one enemy and then another, she was ambushed by a Viper behind her, but the sky pirate grabbed her, and they fell to the ground together, as he drew his gun in order to finish off the Viper. She lay on top of him, her heart racing as his warm hazel eyes met hers. The physicality and seductiveness of his face unsettled her, as she feared that he might kiss her. Is he going to do it, she wondered. The moment quickly shattered; he stood up as his hand lifted hers and guided her to her feet. She thanked him in an awkward but polite manner, as he bestowed an ingenious and easy smile upon her. She walked away from him to join her companions.
They took the long roads of Greenswathe in the Golmore Jungle before reaching Paramina Riff. He graciously smiled at her again, as she tensely turned away from him, quite distraught. She felt a scarlet blush spread across her face. On that occasion, her feelings towards him surfaced again, and she tried to force herself to relax, to act tranquilly, rather than as though she found herself in the midst of a girlhood crush. Flirting with an attractive sky pirate enraptured her and made her quite temperamental, as usual. She made a decision, turned back to him again, and responded to his smile with a firm smile of her own.
We meet at the lights
I stare for a while
the world around us disappears...
After the excursion from the icy, frozen mountains of Bur-Ormisace to the warm, white, sandy beaches of the Phon Coast, she and her friends rested at Hunter's Camp before heading to Archades. She was alone, walking slowly to the beach, when suddenly, she tripped, but to her surprise, the sky pirate's gentle hand caught hers in his. She could feel the warmth of his skin soothe her, touch her, invite her. A strong attraction welcomed her. And then, she smiled firmly at him, standing tall, as he let her hand go.
She stood next to him, staring out across the blue skies and the crystal clear turquoise waters, where the two youngsters were laughing and playing on the water, while the knight/protector and the pirate's partner from Viera converse far less flirtatiously in the distance between the shaded palm trees.
She gazed at him, as she listened to this tale of his past. A pirate of the world who escaped from the past, his soul tormented. She heard about his true identity. About how he had been selected to be a judge by his good father, who had gone mad. And all about his father's dark obsession with the power of nethicite, until he approached the brink of madness. He lost his own father to a stone; their relationship could not last much longer. And no one could save him. From then on, he could no longer stand it. He abandoned the judges. He abandoned his father. And then he ran away from him, cutting his ties with the past.
She came to comfort him in the same manner in which she comforted her prince two years ago. She had behaved quite foolishly and thoughtlessly back then. She had refused him, afraid that he would reject her.
Just you and me
On their island of hope
A breath between us could be miles...
That warm evening, she sat alone on the white sands, observing the distant oceans. The evening skies grew dark and were soon filled with stars. Then, she turned, as someone approached her. The sky pirate stopped before her.
"Enjoying such a romantic spot alone, princess?" the sky pirate asked with humor. "All you need is a bit of company. May I join you?"
"Well,..." she said kindly. "...if you please, pirate."
He sat down on the sand beside her, as they gazed across the distant seas.
"I'm glad that you're here with me, princess," he said into her ear in a low tone.
"Me, too," she said softly, as her eyes met his.
They both smiled at one another, as they enjoyed the starry evening. The bright stars. The moon illuminated the sky, and its beams reflected on the distant waters.
They discussed their childhoods and their past lifestyles as well. He told her about walks with his father in the flower-filled grasslands of the Valendian countryside, about the sweet, heavy scent of wild berries and apple trees only yards away from his family's summer retreat at Galli, where his mother picked her fruit straight off of the tree, and about the clear blue waters of the lakes of Cyriliah, where his cousin taught him how to fly fish and a little luck helped him catch a large fish.
She told him about her childhood in Rabanastre. Her grandmother took her on her first tour around the palace. Her uncle taught her how to dance, while she stood upon his feet in the empty ballroom in Bhujerba. An equestrian, she rode her first pet chocobo across the waters of the Giza Plains, while two knights warned her not to be so reckless and to be careful of falling into puddles. She enjoyed riding with her father in his newly remodeled royal airship, as they traveled across the Galtean Peninsula. And finally, she told of her first meeting with little Prince Rasler, during which they told jokes, laughed, and played day in and day out, even hiding together under the dining table in order to steal a star fruit one time in the middle of her father's conference meeting, only to be caught and surprised by the royal guard.
They laughed and talked about anything and everything... gradually, their laughter died away.
"Are you sure, Balthier?" she said as her smile turned into a frown. She watched the reflection of the moon upon the water. "Are you going to see him?"
"I don't know," he said firmly. "Perhaps I may be able to see him again. You should meet him someday, but not like this...he's not the father that I once loved, since my mother passed away."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that," she stammered.
"It's alright," he nodded lightly, as he lowered his eyes.
"Tell me what happened? How did she d-"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry. Let's not talked about it right now," he deflected, at a loss for words.
"Alright, then." She turned her head and gazed down at her knees, away from him.
There was a pause. She looked at him. "When we reach Archades, I have a bad feeling about what may happen to you...Gods, this is stupid."
"What?" he asked in surprise. "Ashe-"
"Nothing. It's nothing." She looked away, as she gazed back at the sea.
"Tell me then."
She took a breath and sighed. Then, she spoke. "I don't want to see you hurt yourself, Balthier." In her mind--she lied. "I know how you feel."
"Princess, a leading man never hurts his feelings, you know that," he said with a witty grin and a simple, mischievous laugh. "I'll be fine. Really."
"I can help you. If you need us."
"Thank you. But I can do it for myself. He's my father, and I certainly have to face him."
She stood silent. "Does Fran knows about this? The whole thing?"
"No, just you," the sky pirate answered. "You're the only one I trust."
She paused and then smiled once more.
"Once you destroy the nethicite, will you be ready to move on to fight and restore your kingdom?"
"I do not know. But I have to."
"But you won't make use of the stone's power, will you?" He looked over at her.
"It's not the stone's power that I seek. I don't care about that. All I want is my true power to bring back the place to which I belong. Everything that I have cared for since I married him. It's a matter of survival, as I stand against the Empire of my will. I will stop the Empire at any cost. I will do whatever it takes to win."
"Now that will be good." The sky pirate whistles, impressed by her words and passion.
As she gazed upon the horizon, she stated, "When I was a child, my governess read me a story about a princess who lost everything. She wanted her kingdom back from her wicked evil stepmother who had poisoned her father. She didn't know what to do until a good fairy and her companions helped her and turned her stepmother into a frog. She reclaimed the throne and eventually married her true love. It was a simple fairy tale.
"In reality, I had never ruled the country before my brother took over." Her face grew stern, as she frowned. "Maybe I don't believe that the people ever wanted to be queen. I'm too young to be queen. But what would happen to Dalmasca without a ruler?"
"You will be queen, Ashe. Your people need a ruler," he said softly, as his eyes met hers. "Soon. You'll be a very good queen."
"Thank you, pirate," she smiled sadly.
"You're welcome, queen."
"I don't have the title yet."
"I know," he humored her, as he gave her a sly wink.
They both smiled and fell silent. The other companions had fallen asleep quite early. He leaned forward, resting both arms above his knee and inhaling the scent of the fresh tropical air. She looked up at the starry sky above. She was remembering how, as a child, she had stared at the walls of her nursery, painted with silver moons and stars.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
She lowered her eyes to gaze down at the sand. "Have you ever been in love before?"
"Why do you ask?" He responded with a question of his own. "Have you?"
Her face turned red, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm asking you a question, Balthier," she said in a small voice, as she gazed at him. She was aware of his weakness towards women to appear suave and proper. "Just having a friendly chat, that's all."
He swallowed. He was foolishly nervous, like a shy schoolboy. The truth is he had never been in love before, not since his adolescence. Nothing in his previous experiences had prepared him for such a moment.
As a pirate of the world, he had charmed and teased countless women in different places. He had enjoyed them and forgotten them. It was just a playful activity.
"No," he answered. "I've never been in love with a woman. Never in my life since I was very young."
She smirked. "And yet, you still love women."
"That is why you've been asking me these questions." He beamed at her. "It's just an act of flirtation."
"You're lying," she teased him and laughed in good humor. She had not laughed in two years, since the death of her prince. "I'm sure of it-"
He scoffed. "No comment. Thanks for the interview, princess. What about you?"
"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Have you ever been in love?" he asked warmly. "Was Prince Rasler your first?"
She never forgot about her time with her husband. As children, they had been best friends. As grown ups, they were lovers as well as husband and wife. "We loved each other as husband and wife in order to serve Dalmasca. I loved him as he loved me..." Her voice grew timid. In her mind's eye, she saw the day of the wedding on which the prince's homeland was destroyed. And then, on the following day, after the ceremonies and the meetings, the Prince was ready for battle against the Empire. He faithfully promised to return to her. She was waiting for him. Waiting for his return from Nalbina, desperate to throw her arms around him, kiss him, and welcome him to their wedding night. Waiting.
But he returned in a coffin, a lifeless body that she beat in a paroxysm of grief. She felt as though she had been shot in the heart and wept and wept.
She broke down. "He's dead now. Let's not to talk about it. It's all in the past," she said firmly and then turned towards him. "Thank you for the interview, Balthier."
"You're welcome, princess," he said, trying to comfort her. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Don't you worry...I'll keep an eye on you. I promise."
"Thanks. I'm glad that I'm on your side," she replied, as his eyes bored into her, taking her in deeply. She blinked and averted her own gaze, suddenly uncomfortable. "What I..." He stared at her.
She said nothing, looking back towards the sea.
Let me surround you
My sea to your shore
Let me be the calm you see...
She never knew just how long she sat beside him. She hugged her knees together against her chest. Her eyelids lowered as though half asleep. Hearing the sounds of the waves soothed her.
But then she felt the touch of his finger, tracing and lightly stroking a single hair of hers. Stroking and brushing it again, a caress of her right cheek followed. He cupped her delicate chin to move her gently toward him. Her skin and her stomach shivered against her spine. Her pulse beat faster against her chest. Her brown eyes directly met his hazel eyes, dark, warm, and tempting. She could feel the midnight breeze of the ocean waves embrace her. Her fragile body was pulled towards his touch.
Was she going insane, or was she being erotically hypnotized? It was as though a spell had been cast upon her. She enjoyed what she was sensing with her body and with her soul. It was like therapy. In silence, she remained calm and relaxed but she lost a bit of her control, as he leaned closer to her.
His lips touched her cheeks, softly and gently, like a fresh breeze. His soft kiss traveled across her skin and seemed to give her small, electric shocks. His mouth moved to her ear; she could feel and hear his breath against her earlobe. His touch caused her eyes to close, as though she were in a trance. His caresses traveled across the purity of her skin, admiring her trust in him and her innocence. He kissed her petal-like skin, exploring and experimenting from her eyelids to her collarbone, and finally his mouth landed on her lips. Slowly and carefully, his tongue explored the tip of her lower lip, as she moaned lightly. His left hand slowly lifted to stroke the swell of one of her breasts.
She had never felt like this before. Not like this. The fiery kiss. Yes. His mouth parted willingly beneath hers, he wanted to kiss her for hours and hours, wanting her completely. She followed him. Her hand moved slowly onto his shoulder in order to pull herself closer. Her heart was hammering violently. Her body collided with his as her right arm wrapped around his neck. She couldn't take it. She was with him. She wanted far more than his kisses. She wanted his hot tongue, his body, his soul...she wanted him. Dear Gods in heaven, she would love him...forever...
But then, the spell was broken. She moved her head firmly away from him, suddenly awakened from a dream of passion. Her mouth opened, as she breathed rapidly. "No, I can't," she whispered, trembling, trembling like a timid, frightened child. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have done that..."
"Ashe, I..."
"Please. I'm sorry," she said in confusion. "I-I need to be alone." She didn't turn toward him. Or look at him. Instead, she hugged her knees, looking at the ocean again.
He stared hard at her again, afraid to touch her, as though she were made of delicate glass. Losing himself in her fragile beauty, he hesitated and then arose from the sand before leaving her.
Oh but every time I'm close to you
there's too much I can't say
and you just walk away...
"We're going to have to wake up early, if we want to get there on time. The weather will soon change,'' he said, staring at her intensely for a moment, as she remained seated upon the sand, hugging her arms around her legs. She said nothing, still trembling.
"Goodnight, princess," he finally said, hesitating slightly before he turned away.
"Goodnight, Balthier," she said, without looking at him or turning back towards him again, as he walked back to the camp.
But the moment had passed; she lowered her forehead to her knees, overwhelmed by guilt and shame.
She felt lifeless. Her arms hugged her legs. She had almost lost control when he touched her. She wanted to feel his body against hers. She pressed her hands to her face. She loved him.
And I forgot
to tell you I love you
and the night's too long
and cold here without you...
But hell! Someone was watching her mind. It wasn't an apparition of her prince that was watching her mind. Hell no! Her face was deathly pale. She must be mad. Loving a sky pirate would drive her mad. The cold seemed to chill her through to the bone. She shivered, wrapping her arms even tighter around herself, as her eyes closed for a second. Upon reopening them, she shed a few tears.
I grieve in my condition
for I cannot find the words to say
I need you so...
It had been either an act of love or an act of lust.
What shall I do? She thought in prayer, as the love she felt within her remained there still, waiting patiently.