Final Fantasy XII: Mistakes
Mistakes Pt. 2/?
Pairing: Larsa/Penelo
Rating: PG, maybe? I'm so bad with guessing these
Summary: Even the most conniving of Emperors can make mistakes, but Penelo doesn't know how to handle it.
Author's Note: Written for a fic-exchange with mariagoner, I apologize profusely for the delay in getting this chapter out. I've had to rewrite the ending segment about 4 times now, since LJ was positively hating me for a while.
He read the letter for the third time, unable to comprehend what it said. Penelo's simple, slightly loopy script stared right back at him, the words not changing despite his wanting them to.
Dear Vaan, it read, There's been a slight change of plans. Something's come up, and I'm going to be staying in Rabanastre with Ashe. Don't worry, everything's fine. I just need a break for a while, and Ashe decided we need to reconnect, us girls. You know how she gets.
Anyway, make sure you take Filo and Kytes with you when you head out next. They know what they're doing with the Eden, and I won't have you running about by yourself. Take care of yourself!
Penelo
The young sky pirate thought back on his best friend's behavoir of the last few months. He was at this for several minutes before it finally dawned on him who would have a better idea of what was making Penelo act like she was perpetually under a mild Confuse spell: Larsa! Ignoring her rather explicit instructions, Vaan jumped into the Eden and took off for Archades in search of some answers.
-------
Vaan snuck into the palace under the cover of daylight (which, incindentally, went against everything he'd ever been taught as a thief) and made his way with an easy confidence through the halls to the Emperor's private rooms. Penelo had shown him where they were, in case she was ever needed urgently, though Vaan was under very strict orders never to actually enter the rooms when she was there.
However, seeing as he had it on good authority that Penelo was safely back in Rabanastre, Vaan walked right into Larsa's chambers as if he had not a care in the world. The 20-year-old Emperor was lounging on his bed, clearly resting from a long morning in front of the Senate. He sat up with a jump, though, when the door to his chamber flew open and the Dread Pirate Ratsbane strode throught it.
"Vaan! What brings you here?" Larsa slig off his bed to greet his friend with a hug.
"Hey Larsa. I wanted to talk to you about Penelo, actually." Vaan's statement took the Emperor by surprise, and the two young men took seats by the window.
"Is something wrong? I have not heard from her for a number of weeks, and I was beginning to worry for her health." This was, indeed a highly truthful statement from the younger man. Penelo's lack of communication worried him, as she never allowed more than a week or so to pass without a letter. And yet, it had been almost 3 weeks since her last communiqué.
"That's what I wanted to ask you." Larsa eyebrows shot up as the sky pirate took a breath. "Penelo's been acting...weird, lately. Sick a lot in the mornings, kinda moody, and now she's 'taking a break' from sky pirating to stay with Ashe for a while." Vaan looked at Larsa, confusion in his eyes. "Did something happen, last time she was here?"
Larsa immediately repressed the memories of what had occurred, lest his face turn the color of a tomato. He relfected on her behavior (and tried to ignore the memory of her fingers ghosting over his chest) and shook his head. "I did not notice anything," he said, mentally filing away Vaan's list of symptoms. Maybe Gabranth would be able to find something for him later. "I am sorry I could not help you further."
-------
Larsa ended up doing the research himself, hunting through the numerous medical texts in the imperial library. One text, a large, green, leather-bound monster, detailed illnesses by symptom, though Larsa's search was still fruitless. In frustration, he turned to Judge Magister Gabranth who, never far from his leige, had begun to wonder about Larsa's sanity (he was starting to think that the young emperor was trying to become a hypochondriac, what with all of this searching of obscure medical conditions).
"Gabranth," he asked the armored Judge, late one afternoon, "do you know much about illnesses?" Understandably confused, Gabranth (who, when he was not under his brother's armor, went by the name of Basch) cocked his head to one side. Larsa caught sight of this and felt his face flush as he rushed to explain. "Vaan brought me news that Penelo has not been well, and, while the sheer volume of medical texts in the imperial library alone is impressive, I cannot find anything matching the descriptions Vaan provided me."
Eyebrows raised, unseen beneath his helm, Gabranth sighed. "Perhaps if we discuss this with some of the palace servants, we may discover what is wrong with her. It might be an ailment so common it is not listed."
-------
They finally found a suitable response in the fifth maid interviewed. Larsa's eyes were intent as he studied the young woman, searching for any hints of deceit in her posture or movements. "Are you quite certain of this diagnosis?" Gabranth questioned the young woman. She nodded, keeping her eyes on the Judge Magister rather than this young Emperor (who was staring at her rather disconcertingly).
"'M quite sure, sir. Me mam's a midwife down in Old Archades, sir, an' I've been along t'elp 'er plenty, 'fore I got the job 'ere at the palace." The girl's face was earnest and honest, and Larsa could find no trace of false intentions. With a sigh, he dismissed the maid and turned to Gabranth.
"Could it be true, Gabranth?" the young emperor asked, his mask of scrutiny dropping and revealing his insecurities. Basch, beneath his brother's helm, shrugged.
"It is highly likely, my lord." This was not, he knew, what Larsa wanted to hear. However, the information was necessary and vital, particularly if, as Basch suspected, it proved to be true.
Larsa dropped his head into his hands. "Prepare an airship to Rabanastre, Gabranth. I feel we must make a visit to her Majesty of Dalmasca very shortly."
With a short, courteous nod, Basch-Gabranth left the Emperor's office, wondering just how this was going to affect the nature of relations between his current employer and his previous one.
Pairing: Larsa/Penelo
Rating: PG, maybe? I'm so bad with guessing these
Summary: Even the most conniving of Emperors can make mistakes, but Penelo doesn't know how to handle it.
Author's Note: Written for a fic-exchange with mariagoner, I apologize profusely for the delay in getting this chapter out. I've had to rewrite the ending segment about 4 times now, since LJ was positively hating me for a while.
He read the letter for the third time, unable to comprehend what it said. Penelo's simple, slightly loopy script stared right back at him, the words not changing despite his wanting them to.
Dear Vaan, it read, There's been a slight change of plans. Something's come up, and I'm going to be staying in Rabanastre with Ashe. Don't worry, everything's fine. I just need a break for a while, and Ashe decided we need to reconnect, us girls. You know how she gets.
Anyway, make sure you take Filo and Kytes with you when you head out next. They know what they're doing with the Eden, and I won't have you running about by yourself. Take care of yourself!
Penelo
The young sky pirate thought back on his best friend's behavoir of the last few months. He was at this for several minutes before it finally dawned on him who would have a better idea of what was making Penelo act like she was perpetually under a mild Confuse spell: Larsa! Ignoring her rather explicit instructions, Vaan jumped into the Eden and took off for Archades in search of some answers.
-------
Vaan snuck into the palace under the cover of daylight (which, incindentally, went against everything he'd ever been taught as a thief) and made his way with an easy confidence through the halls to the Emperor's private rooms. Penelo had shown him where they were, in case she was ever needed urgently, though Vaan was under very strict orders never to actually enter the rooms when she was there.
However, seeing as he had it on good authority that Penelo was safely back in Rabanastre, Vaan walked right into Larsa's chambers as if he had not a care in the world. The 20-year-old Emperor was lounging on his bed, clearly resting from a long morning in front of the Senate. He sat up with a jump, though, when the door to his chamber flew open and the Dread Pirate Ratsbane strode throught it.
"Vaan! What brings you here?" Larsa slig off his bed to greet his friend with a hug.
"Hey Larsa. I wanted to talk to you about Penelo, actually." Vaan's statement took the Emperor by surprise, and the two young men took seats by the window.
"Is something wrong? I have not heard from her for a number of weeks, and I was beginning to worry for her health." This was, indeed a highly truthful statement from the younger man. Penelo's lack of communication worried him, as she never allowed more than a week or so to pass without a letter. And yet, it had been almost 3 weeks since her last communiqué.
"That's what I wanted to ask you." Larsa eyebrows shot up as the sky pirate took a breath. "Penelo's been acting...weird, lately. Sick a lot in the mornings, kinda moody, and now she's 'taking a break' from sky pirating to stay with Ashe for a while." Vaan looked at Larsa, confusion in his eyes. "Did something happen, last time she was here?"
Larsa immediately repressed the memories of what had occurred, lest his face turn the color of a tomato. He relfected on her behavior (and tried to ignore the memory of her fingers ghosting over his chest) and shook his head. "I did not notice anything," he said, mentally filing away Vaan's list of symptoms. Maybe Gabranth would be able to find something for him later. "I am sorry I could not help you further."
-------
Larsa ended up doing the research himself, hunting through the numerous medical texts in the imperial library. One text, a large, green, leather-bound monster, detailed illnesses by symptom, though Larsa's search was still fruitless. In frustration, he turned to Judge Magister Gabranth who, never far from his leige, had begun to wonder about Larsa's sanity (he was starting to think that the young emperor was trying to become a hypochondriac, what with all of this searching of obscure medical conditions).
"Gabranth," he asked the armored Judge, late one afternoon, "do you know much about illnesses?" Understandably confused, Gabranth (who, when he was not under his brother's armor, went by the name of Basch) cocked his head to one side. Larsa caught sight of this and felt his face flush as he rushed to explain. "Vaan brought me news that Penelo has not been well, and, while the sheer volume of medical texts in the imperial library alone is impressive, I cannot find anything matching the descriptions Vaan provided me."
Eyebrows raised, unseen beneath his helm, Gabranth sighed. "Perhaps if we discuss this with some of the palace servants, we may discover what is wrong with her. It might be an ailment so common it is not listed."
-------
They finally found a suitable response in the fifth maid interviewed. Larsa's eyes were intent as he studied the young woman, searching for any hints of deceit in her posture or movements. "Are you quite certain of this diagnosis?" Gabranth questioned the young woman. She nodded, keeping her eyes on the Judge Magister rather than this young Emperor (who was staring at her rather disconcertingly).
"'M quite sure, sir. Me mam's a midwife down in Old Archades, sir, an' I've been along t'elp 'er plenty, 'fore I got the job 'ere at the palace." The girl's face was earnest and honest, and Larsa could find no trace of false intentions. With a sigh, he dismissed the maid and turned to Gabranth.
"Could it be true, Gabranth?" the young emperor asked, his mask of scrutiny dropping and revealing his insecurities. Basch, beneath his brother's helm, shrugged.
"It is highly likely, my lord." This was not, he knew, what Larsa wanted to hear. However, the information was necessary and vital, particularly if, as Basch suspected, it proved to be true.
Larsa dropped his head into his hands. "Prepare an airship to Rabanastre, Gabranth. I feel we must make a visit to her Majesty of Dalmasca very shortly."
With a short, courteous nod, Basch-Gabranth left the Emperor's office, wondering just how this was going to affect the nature of relations between his current employer and his previous one.