FFXII Fic: Knots, Ties and Tides, Chapter 2 (Penelo, Ashe, Larsa, Larsa/Penelo)

[mariagoner]

OMG, I am so happy. After a visit from the friendliest tech fellow ever (he didn't even charge me for the visit!), I have my internet back. You never really know what a good thing you've got till it's gone! And in celebration, I bring chapter two of Knots, which is still midnightdiddle's fault, though Calculating!Politican!Ashe is mithrigil's contribution more than

Comments

[artemischan]

Hooo boy, love, this is a doozy! I actually rather like all of the politicalness of this part of the story, and that Ashe can legitimately support her reasoning for this decision. Also, woo for Penelo deciding to actually listen and try. She's torn, I know, and it is a highly disturbing though, but I heart her for being so...human about it all.

Anyway, much love. <3

[mariagoner]

Sometimes, you feel like writing like a nut. And sometimes... you don't. ;) ♥

And I'm glad this entire 'marriage' business feels legitimate and reasonable to you! I mean, poor Penelo might have something different to say (twelve. year. old. husband. WHAT?!) but... well... if Ashe is looking to secure peace for her country even after freedom is achieved, what better way to do it than to get a Dalmascan bride for the future Archadian Emperor? ;) Poor Penelo is just going to have to kind of... grin and bear it, though you just know she'll try every way to get out if that she can!

And yay for love! And right back atcha! ♥

[kilraaj]

I don't really have anything to say, besides that Ashe and the Capitalized Words of Grave Importance amuse me way too much. XD

[mariagoner]

Out of all the Ashes (heee!) I've ever written, caluclating!Ashe is my favorite of them all! She needs more love, I swear, even though I do think her countrymen shall have much to fear once she ascends to the throne once more. XD

[aorin]

Oh gosh, I think all the political inclinations and aspects had jammed my head for a moment. I've enjoyed it nontheless, very detailed and well-written, I can't imagine how much effort you've put into it. Ashe's rationalizing and Penelo's contradictions, and still trying to go on with the proper flow of the story. Well done for this chapter. :D

[mariagoner]

Oh noooo... I hope I haven't jammed your head for too long with the politics! XD They kinda made my mind whirl as well but when you're packing an idea as inherantly silly as a 12-year-old-child-bride-groom, it only becomes all the more hilarous when everyone but the protagonist sees it as eminently sensible. Poor Penelo is going to be in for a rough time in the future. XD

Though, only one point by far seems a little off. True, House Solidor has no claim to nobility historically, but then again, all forms of nobility begins somewhere and by now, I would say that the Solidor line has been very well-established, and consider themselves blue-blood. I mean, Ashe's line began from the Dynast-King, sounds noble, but D-K could have been a chocobo herder for all we know. Still, I suppose they wouldn't mind accepting a newly-made patrician into the family (especially if its Larsa's wish), but highly unlikely to make her the empress - unless Penelo manages to convince them otherwise. So, as Ashe puts it, Penelo is more less the lynchpin to make

[aorin]

It took a while to unwind the knots in my head (also, I had to reread certain parts again to understand it better). The child groom isn't exactly implausible, in reality, most of the royalty would have chosen their intended possbily by 5 years old. But they are only betroth and the wedding don't take place until at least 10 years later (that is if there were no changes). Still, it's not like they are expected to get married instantly and even if they do, Penelo is probably not required to fulfill her marital duties until Larsa comes of age... But I'm sure you've worked that out already, right? ;D

(What can I say... Larsa wasn't the only child prodigy in their ranks!)
Yeah, I should say that most of their emperors are rather gifted, I mean, Vayne himself was a military genius.

And yes, Penelo being the Empress would be impossible but it'll be tough, and there'll be a lot of triald and tribulations ahead of her. Btw, how many chapters are you planning for this fic??? Seems like a long road ahead... XP

[mariagoner]

Luckily, nobody expects Penelo to tumble around in bed with a twelve year old (which is good, since the very thought is enough to make poor Penelo break out into hives!) But unluckily for her, if the marriage isn't 'consummated,' it can still be annulled. That's... going to be a point of quite some conflict later on. ;)

Oh yeah, the Solidor family certainly seems to be one with a great deal of talent flowing through their bloodline. Too bad it's also accompanied by a fair amount of homicidal bloodlust, as Vayne also show! O.o

And I... have no idea how many chapters will be up. I've tentatively drafted up to chapter 5 but I really have no idea if I'll keep writing this until the end, whenever that comes about! All the chapters are quite short, which will stretch this out a bit longer but... ::shrugs:: Time will tell. ;)

[animechicky2040]

omg "flippy haired babies" hehe

love it <3 <3

[mariagoner]

And that's not even going into the crazy forked eyebrows all the Solidor have! ::wiggles her own::

[cygna_hime]

Shweeee! I too love calculating!psycho!Ashe, because...she is so totally canon. About now she's showing the telltale signs of Drama. Someone needs to say something snarky.

Things I especially love:

-Ashe sneering at the Solidor bloodline, which is pretty damn' good by this time, in the time-honored fashion of comparatively impoverished nobility/royalty with a hundred generations of noble blood sneering at the wealthy who have only fifty or so. (In a sidenote, House Solidor being slightly less old than others could explain how they have yet to inbreed themselves into total crazy--yeah, Vayne's crazy, but he's competent-crazy, not Caligula-crazy, which is a big, big improvement

[mariagoner]

Ashe the Caluclating Psycho is most definitely the stand-out character in the story so far. I despair to think of what I shall do when her role inevitably fades into the background. ;)

Double plus yay to the Gramis love! I admit, you've managed to infect me pretty well with it so even though Ashe has no love lost for him (not that I can blame her), Larsa at least will be missing him terribly when the inevitable happens. And I am so tempted to yoink the names of the Lost Solidor Brothers from Power and Glory. Would you mind terribly if it came to that point? ;)

And I'm glad the politics worked for you! I feel as though I can rest easy if you think I'm doing okay in that arena because your fic has some of the most intricate yet understandable political maneuverings in the fandom so far. And yeah, I'm totally with you on the Ashe-ennobling-the-baby-sky-pirates factor. I mean, who else could she possibly trust to safe-guard her interests in Dalmasca, now that Basch is gone?

Also... poor Penelo. She really is the only one (well, besides

[cygna_hime]

Of course you can yoink my Solidor names! *does little dance* Why would I turn down an opportunity to start a fandom thing?

Poor, poor Penelo. If she makes Vaan help her steal the Strahl and fly off into the Anywhere But Here, I won't blame her in the least. I'd be a bit surprised if she didn't at least think about it.

[mariagoner]

I think she'd be tempted to just... leave plenty of times. She might even be able to get away with it to, if someone like, oh say, her would-be in-laws wanted her gone and was willing to cover her tracks for her. But would she actually go through with it? With tiny, fragile (or at least willing to act that way when he has to) Larsa counting on her? Could she? Really?

That... I'm unsure about. ;)