FFXII Fic: Kind Hearts and Coronations (Larsa/Penelo)
Originally written as part of a fic-bit exchange, this eventually swelled to enough words to become a part of The Uses of Enchantment series. In any case, this is for the lovely and unfairly talented moontear and la_xhal, both of whom are or shall be celebrating their birthdays soon. So here's to hoping you two enjoy this little bit of fluff and world-building!
And comments, corrections and criticism are, as always, completely welcome and loved! After all, a little encouragement never fails to add a bit of inspiration...
Title: Kind Hearts and Coronations
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Series: The Uses of Enchantment
Pairings: Larsa/Penelo
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Holding a coronation worthy of a woman who once helped to save the world can be a rather draining task...
“People really ought to be warned ahead of time about you, did you know that?”
“Hmmm?”
“Oh yes, they most definitely should. I mean, I can only imagine how different my life would have been if someone had taken me aside from the start and told me to be careful about the little one in the bright green breeches. Penelo, they’d say, never look him straight in the eyes, be careful about any sparkly and probably evil gifts he might give you, and, for the love of god, never get bowled over by him once he actually reaches puberty and grows about 348 feet tall. They would really emphasize that last bit.”
“I hope you don't mind me disputing that characterization a bit, my dear lady. Fact number one... I didn't need to look into your eyes to fall in love with you."
"What, it was the braids that did the trick?"
"Well, that and the very interesting designs you used to wear around your, er, nether regions. They used to provide hours upon hours of entertainment for me in the field."
"Oh my god, so Vaan was right! Even when you were twelve, you were looking!"
"I was always an early bloomer for my age. And at least part of the fault belonged to you merely for being so enchanting."
"Blame it on the reluctant Jezebel, as always."
"Precisely. Fact number two... I didn't know my very first present to you would turn out to possess dubious ethical boundaries."
"Well... it was just a shiny hunk of rock in the first place. I guess I can't blame you for giving it to me, though it's a wonder neither of us ever got possessed by evil demon spirits and grow muscles on top of our muscles after trekking with it through 372 different territories."
"That's what I adore most about you, Penelo-- you always look on the bright side of things. And fact number three... well, actually, forget fact number three. I'm still quietly thrilled that you finally admitted that you were bowled over by me after I managed to scale the heights-- or depths-- of puberty.”
“Hush, let’s never speak of this. I made a vow on my no-longer-quite-so-innocent-now-that-I’ve-been-corrupted-by-you honor that I’d never speak of being seduced by a mere teenager again. Now matter how dangerous he turned out to be.”
“I’m no longer quite so callow, love. Besides, you wouldn‘t be occupying the position you are currently gracing if you didn‘t fall prey to my charms. And do you really believe that ought to be the case? I never pictured myself as very dangerous person, honestly speaking.”
“Oh, you are. Very much so. In a very quiet and sneaky sort of way, which only makes things worse.
“I hope you don't mind me reading that as a compliment, my dear. In my line of business, being able to be that way is a definite advantage.”
“Well, yeah, I agree, if only because rulers are pretty much supposed to be that way. I mean, look at Ashe! I thought she was thiiiis close to beheading people and parading their heads around on a pike for half the time we were adventuring together. And she still ended up being Queen and doing a damn good job at it too. But that still doesn’t change the fact that you’re dangerous. Or a lunatic. A dangerous lunatic, even.”
“Oh? How so?”
“Do you want me to start at the beginning, where you decided to gallivant around the world bringing peace to warring empires before your voice even broke? Or skip ahead to the times when you decided your first act of emperor was to woo me with air-ships from afar?”
“Ah, Penelo, now I remember. Good times, good times. Especially the first time, in which I managed to single-handedly save you from some of the most dastardly gents in all of Ivalice, eventually securing your heart, hand and more seductive parts in the process.”
"See what I mean? You were dangerous even before the growth spurt and you’re even more so now! We definitely need to start warning poor, innocent maidens whenever you’re on the prowl, ready to start turning their life upside down. We could make a new middle name for you, for starters. Like Crazy Eyes. Larsa 'Crazy Eyes' Solidor. It’s got a certain ring to it, right?"
"But... I rather like Ferrinas. It being my current middle name and all."
"But it sounds like a girl's name. Though actually, so does Larsa. Huh."
"I prefer to think of it as the natural result of we Archadians being secure in our masculinity."
"You must be, if you're willing to wear a purple ruffled robe out in public. Which, by the way, looks like a dress. That is purple. And has, y’know, ribbons and ruffles and what-have-you on it.”
"It's a heirloom from my father. I'm honoring generations of past emperors by wearing it and getting in touch with my feminine side while doing so. You don‘t believe these are goals most worthy?”
“…When you put it like that, it almost does make sense, which really and truly scares me. But, anyway. Emperor. Crazy Eyes. Solidor. You don't think it has a certain mass appeal?"
"In view of the fact that most Archadians would like to believe that their ruler is sane... Not so much. But in that you‘ve given it to me… why not?"
“Hee, I was hoping you’d agree eventually! And actually, it took a lot less time than I thought it would.”
“So you actually sat and pondered over how long over how long it would take to convince me of such a notion? My, you really must be bored of your duties as my wife already. And you haven’t even been crowned at Empress just yet!”
“…No, that’s not it. I guess I’ve just been a little… well, I guess I’ve been running crazy little thoughts like that through my mind to just… distract myself from what’s to come.”
“Distract yourself… Penelo, if all this proves too much for you, there is still time to cancel this event.”
“Um… cancel… being the empress part?”
“No, not that. That is a promise I rather mean to hold you to right here.”
“Good. Because I wasn’t planning of doing that anyway and I‘d be a little angry if you insisted.”
“Never, love, never. I’d sooner shoot myself in the foot with your old Formalhaut and limp my way to and from my chambers with my staff of office.”
“Heh, what a mental image, Larsa! How long have you been thinking about it?”
“Since every night that you frustrated me with your wiles just before our wedding day. And please don’t laugh, I am being serious. If you’d rather not participate in this following task…”
“I-- It’d be easy to say yes to that, Larsa. So stop tempting me."
"I don't mean to tempt you, Penelo. Merely... to give you a reprieve, if it is that you seek or need."
"...Sometimes I think I actually would like that, which is stupid, I know, and cowardly. It's just that, well, it’d be really, really, really easy to say I can’t do this and have you give me an out, even right now. All I have to do is pout my lip at you and you'd let me just march down that aisle like normal and have someone stuffy stick a crown on me and let me be Empress, right?”
“Such is the way empresses have been crowned for the last few centuries, in any case. And what you've asked me arrange in lieu of that is… is a rather radical step for you to take to prove your worth to my people, Penelo. This isn't something you need to do, love. I can fight my political battles well enough even if you didn't.”
“I know it isn't. I know you can. And I know what we're about to try isn't anything close to ordinary. But you really figure doing things the ordinary way would fit you and me? Since when have we ever fit the definition of ‘normal’ anyway?”
“Never. And every time I look at you, I’m grateful for that than I can say.”
“...Me too. And Larsa-- I get it. I get you. I understand all of it and why I need to do this. And even if it’s hard, I’m happy to do so. Because I’m with you and I know you’ve already fought for this and now I want to fight too. It‘s what I‘m best at. And if doing this will help you even a little bit with all the battles on your end and help people who need to be helped-- no matter what, I'll do it.”
"...You really are one of the bravest people I've ever known, my lady wife."
"And my lord husband, you are by far the most crazy. And what it says about me that I‘m mad about you too, I don't know. So by god, let’s get it over and done with already."
“If I tell you ‘that’s the spirit,’ would you bite me?”
“Rather hard, yes. So, Crazy Eyes, are you ready to go out and show some of the snobs of your court what your new wife's made out of?”
“Absolutely. Though naturally, they’d be quite hopeless if they haven’t figured it out already.”
---
[From the collected writings of A. J. Durai]
Even though all had known that the rule of Larsa the Stalwart, the fifth Emperor of Archadia, would be an unconventional one from the time he had first taken control of his empire at the tender age of thirteen, the manner in which he introduced his new Empress to the public was still a remarkable one.
Indeed, many would point out that such was inevitable. After all, his bride, Her Imperial Majesty Penelo Majus Solidor, was remarkable from the beginning in that she was not a typical princess who had been cosseted from birth onwards in the hope of making her a fit vessel to bear heirs for her future husband. Our notes and accounts from that period indicate that she had spent many of her formative years in various and rather dubious occupations, which include turns as an shop girl, a street dancer, a sky pirate and, finally, as a diplomat to the Archadian court. The last occurred for almost a year before Her Royal Highness Queen Ashelia gave Lady Penelo her blessings for a marriage that would better bind the Empire of Archadia to the kingdom of Dalmasca, which still considered itself injured by its Northern neighbor’s aggressions in years past.
Many still argue over aspects of the relationship between the Emperor and his eventual Empress, such as how long their love affair had lasted before their marriage, whether their marriage had been one of ‘true hearts and minds’ (as they promoted) or lust and convenience, and to what extent the Emperor used the political capital from his marriage to shore up his regime in the eyes of the common folk who resented his giving away former imperial properties but who did find that he had shattered many of the traditional ‘glass ceilings’ of Archadian society. However, even those scholars-- as well as those bystanders lucky enough to witness the Empress’ coronation after her marriage to His Majesty in the flesh-- did point out that it had been a most memorable affair. But then, any coronation that featured a new ruler healing the old wounds of a wide swath of soldiers from both Archadia and Dalmasca until her admittedly ample magic reserves were exhausted, replenished and exhausted again and again can be seen as a harbinger of the social changes her rule would soon bring.
Indeed, perhaps the most amazing feature of Her Majesty’s coronation was that-- despite the potential embarrassment that might have occurred had she not proven capable of dealing with the double regiments loaned to her for the ceremony-- it consolidated Her Majesty’s role as ‘The Empress of the Common People.’ It was as role that her husband would use with much deftness in pacifying the public in the future, as well as one she would relish playing till the end of her days at the forefront of the golden age of Ivalice…
And comments, corrections and criticism are, as always, completely welcome and loved! After all, a little encouragement never fails to add a bit of inspiration...
Title: Kind Hearts and Coronations
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Series: The Uses of Enchantment
Pairings: Larsa/Penelo
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Holding a coronation worthy of a woman who once helped to save the world can be a rather draining task...
“People really ought to be warned ahead of time about you, did you know that?”
“Hmmm?”
“Oh yes, they most definitely should. I mean, I can only imagine how different my life would have been if someone had taken me aside from the start and told me to be careful about the little one in the bright green breeches. Penelo, they’d say, never look him straight in the eyes, be careful about any sparkly and probably evil gifts he might give you, and, for the love of god, never get bowled over by him once he actually reaches puberty and grows about 348 feet tall. They would really emphasize that last bit.”
“I hope you don't mind me disputing that characterization a bit, my dear lady. Fact number one... I didn't need to look into your eyes to fall in love with you."
"What, it was the braids that did the trick?"
"Well, that and the very interesting designs you used to wear around your, er, nether regions. They used to provide hours upon hours of entertainment for me in the field."
"Oh my god, so Vaan was right! Even when you were twelve, you were looking!"
"I was always an early bloomer for my age. And at least part of the fault belonged to you merely for being so enchanting."
"Blame it on the reluctant Jezebel, as always."
"Precisely. Fact number two... I didn't know my very first present to you would turn out to possess dubious ethical boundaries."
"Well... it was just a shiny hunk of rock in the first place. I guess I can't blame you for giving it to me, though it's a wonder neither of us ever got possessed by evil demon spirits and grow muscles on top of our muscles after trekking with it through 372 different territories."
"That's what I adore most about you, Penelo-- you always look on the bright side of things. And fact number three... well, actually, forget fact number three. I'm still quietly thrilled that you finally admitted that you were bowled over by me after I managed to scale the heights-- or depths-- of puberty.”
“Hush, let’s never speak of this. I made a vow on my no-longer-quite-so-innocent-now-that-I’ve-been-corrupted-by-you honor that I’d never speak of being seduced by a mere teenager again. Now matter how dangerous he turned out to be.”
“I’m no longer quite so callow, love. Besides, you wouldn‘t be occupying the position you are currently gracing if you didn‘t fall prey to my charms. And do you really believe that ought to be the case? I never pictured myself as very dangerous person, honestly speaking.”
“Oh, you are. Very much so. In a very quiet and sneaky sort of way, which only makes things worse.
“I hope you don't mind me reading that as a compliment, my dear. In my line of business, being able to be that way is a definite advantage.”
“Well, yeah, I agree, if only because rulers are pretty much supposed to be that way. I mean, look at Ashe! I thought she was thiiiis close to beheading people and parading their heads around on a pike for half the time we were adventuring together. And she still ended up being Queen and doing a damn good job at it too. But that still doesn’t change the fact that you’re dangerous. Or a lunatic. A dangerous lunatic, even.”
“Oh? How so?”
“Do you want me to start at the beginning, where you decided to gallivant around the world bringing peace to warring empires before your voice even broke? Or skip ahead to the times when you decided your first act of emperor was to woo me with air-ships from afar?”
“Ah, Penelo, now I remember. Good times, good times. Especially the first time, in which I managed to single-handedly save you from some of the most dastardly gents in all of Ivalice, eventually securing your heart, hand and more seductive parts in the process.”
"See what I mean? You were dangerous even before the growth spurt and you’re even more so now! We definitely need to start warning poor, innocent maidens whenever you’re on the prowl, ready to start turning their life upside down. We could make a new middle name for you, for starters. Like Crazy Eyes. Larsa 'Crazy Eyes' Solidor. It’s got a certain ring to it, right?"
"But... I rather like Ferrinas. It being my current middle name and all."
"But it sounds like a girl's name. Though actually, so does Larsa. Huh."
"I prefer to think of it as the natural result of we Archadians being secure in our masculinity."
"You must be, if you're willing to wear a purple ruffled robe out in public. Which, by the way, looks like a dress. That is purple. And has, y’know, ribbons and ruffles and what-have-you on it.”
"It's a heirloom from my father. I'm honoring generations of past emperors by wearing it and getting in touch with my feminine side while doing so. You don‘t believe these are goals most worthy?”
“…When you put it like that, it almost does make sense, which really and truly scares me. But, anyway. Emperor. Crazy Eyes. Solidor. You don't think it has a certain mass appeal?"
"In view of the fact that most Archadians would like to believe that their ruler is sane... Not so much. But in that you‘ve given it to me… why not?"
“Hee, I was hoping you’d agree eventually! And actually, it took a lot less time than I thought it would.”
“So you actually sat and pondered over how long over how long it would take to convince me of such a notion? My, you really must be bored of your duties as my wife already. And you haven’t even been crowned at Empress just yet!”
“…No, that’s not it. I guess I’ve just been a little… well, I guess I’ve been running crazy little thoughts like that through my mind to just… distract myself from what’s to come.”
“Distract yourself… Penelo, if all this proves too much for you, there is still time to cancel this event.”
“Um… cancel… being the empress part?”
“No, not that. That is a promise I rather mean to hold you to right here.”
“Good. Because I wasn’t planning of doing that anyway and I‘d be a little angry if you insisted.”
“Never, love, never. I’d sooner shoot myself in the foot with your old Formalhaut and limp my way to and from my chambers with my staff of office.”
“Heh, what a mental image, Larsa! How long have you been thinking about it?”
“Since every night that you frustrated me with your wiles just before our wedding day. And please don’t laugh, I am being serious. If you’d rather not participate in this following task…”
“I-- It’d be easy to say yes to that, Larsa. So stop tempting me."
"I don't mean to tempt you, Penelo. Merely... to give you a reprieve, if it is that you seek or need."
"...Sometimes I think I actually would like that, which is stupid, I know, and cowardly. It's just that, well, it’d be really, really, really easy to say I can’t do this and have you give me an out, even right now. All I have to do is pout my lip at you and you'd let me just march down that aisle like normal and have someone stuffy stick a crown on me and let me be Empress, right?”
“Such is the way empresses have been crowned for the last few centuries, in any case. And what you've asked me arrange in lieu of that is… is a rather radical step for you to take to prove your worth to my people, Penelo. This isn't something you need to do, love. I can fight my political battles well enough even if you didn't.”
“I know it isn't. I know you can. And I know what we're about to try isn't anything close to ordinary. But you really figure doing things the ordinary way would fit you and me? Since when have we ever fit the definition of ‘normal’ anyway?”
“Never. And every time I look at you, I’m grateful for that than I can say.”
“...Me too. And Larsa-- I get it. I get you. I understand all of it and why I need to do this. And even if it’s hard, I’m happy to do so. Because I’m with you and I know you’ve already fought for this and now I want to fight too. It‘s what I‘m best at. And if doing this will help you even a little bit with all the battles on your end and help people who need to be helped-- no matter what, I'll do it.”
"...You really are one of the bravest people I've ever known, my lady wife."
"And my lord husband, you are by far the most crazy. And what it says about me that I‘m mad about you too, I don't know. So by god, let’s get it over and done with already."
“If I tell you ‘that’s the spirit,’ would you bite me?”
“Rather hard, yes. So, Crazy Eyes, are you ready to go out and show some of the snobs of your court what your new wife's made out of?”
“Absolutely. Though naturally, they’d be quite hopeless if they haven’t figured it out already.”
---
[From the collected writings of A. J. Durai]
Even though all had known that the rule of Larsa the Stalwart, the fifth Emperor of Archadia, would be an unconventional one from the time he had first taken control of his empire at the tender age of thirteen, the manner in which he introduced his new Empress to the public was still a remarkable one.
Indeed, many would point out that such was inevitable. After all, his bride, Her Imperial Majesty Penelo Majus Solidor, was remarkable from the beginning in that she was not a typical princess who had been cosseted from birth onwards in the hope of making her a fit vessel to bear heirs for her future husband. Our notes and accounts from that period indicate that she had spent many of her formative years in various and rather dubious occupations, which include turns as an shop girl, a street dancer, a sky pirate and, finally, as a diplomat to the Archadian court. The last occurred for almost a year before Her Royal Highness Queen Ashelia gave Lady Penelo her blessings for a marriage that would better bind the Empire of Archadia to the kingdom of Dalmasca, which still considered itself injured by its Northern neighbor’s aggressions in years past.
Many still argue over aspects of the relationship between the Emperor and his eventual Empress, such as how long their love affair had lasted before their marriage, whether their marriage had been one of ‘true hearts and minds’ (as they promoted) or lust and convenience, and to what extent the Emperor used the political capital from his marriage to shore up his regime in the eyes of the common folk who resented his giving away former imperial properties but who did find that he had shattered many of the traditional ‘glass ceilings’ of Archadian society. However, even those scholars-- as well as those bystanders lucky enough to witness the Empress’ coronation after her marriage to His Majesty in the flesh-- did point out that it had been a most memorable affair. But then, any coronation that featured a new ruler healing the old wounds of a wide swath of soldiers from both Archadia and Dalmasca until her admittedly ample magic reserves were exhausted, replenished and exhausted again and again can be seen as a harbinger of the social changes her rule would soon bring.
Indeed, perhaps the most amazing feature of Her Majesty’s coronation was that-- despite the potential embarrassment that might have occurred had she not proven capable of dealing with the double regiments loaned to her for the ceremony-- it consolidated Her Majesty’s role as ‘The Empress of the Common People.’ It was as role that her husband would use with much deftness in pacifying the public in the future, as well as one she would relish playing till the end of her days at the forefront of the golden age of Ivalice…