steal me!: a balthier/ashe fansite

A/N: Ending spoiler for FFIX. Yes, IX. You’ve been warned.

Chapter Three - The Coronation

Ashelia couldn’t explain why she picked up one of her childhood favorite storybooks. After all, it was the day of her coronation, the would-be queen should be doing anything but reading a silly story. Yet Ashe simply had too much in her mind; any source of diversion was more than welcome as the clock ticked away, counting down to the final moment til the ceremony. Countless emotions swirled inside her, some were familiar, some unknown; together they entangled and weaved into a heavy tapestry, cloaking her mind, shrouding her heart.

All she wanted right now was a very simple thing: to read this story, once again. Perhaps it was a familiar comfort the book brought her, a reminder of a happier, and certainly more innocent time. Or perhaps it was just a temporary escape, from her emotions, the reality, and most of all, from the thought of a sky pirate.

The sky pirate…

Ashe reached for a drawer in her desk and retrieved a small leather pouch. The very same one which once had been in the sky pirate’s possession. She opened it gently and emptied it content on her palm. The wedding ring dropped first. It felt strangely cold in her warm hand. Two very different men had once possessed this ring; both she had loved, both she had spent too little time with, and both she had lost.

Putting down the ring, Ashe pulled out the small note still nestling inside the pouch. Unlike the ring, this note was his, and his only. His words, his letters, his message…

He had sent no words for the past weeks since his brief instruction to return the once ransomed wedding ring to “their Queen”. Not one single word had been heard from him, and Ashe’s heart had since been frozen. She couldn’t feel the pain from his rejection, nor could she feel the lost from his absence. Balthier was alive and well, and it was all that mattered, as she had convinced herself quite successfully. What more could she ask for? He belonged to the sky; she belonged to Dalmasca…

Ashe took one last glance at the notice. His words still hurt her, if she would let herself feel it, though nowhere as painful as the very first time she’d read it. Cutting as it might be, the note was the one and only thing of him she would ever have. No matter how hurtful his message was, Ashe still treasured it more than any priceless trinkets in the palace.

With utmost care, Ashelia tugged the tiny parchment back in its protective pouch along with the wedding band, putting it back in the drawer before she turned her attention back to her childhood storybook.

The story was not one of those typical fairy tales, instead it was an adventure of a vagrant princess. Vagrant princess - the very same description that had been used on herself not so long ago, Ashe reflected. The princess in the story was from a far away kingdom named Alexandria, where she met a thief and asked him to kidnap her away from the castle.

“Kidnap me!” The princess of Alexandria demanded the thief. The princess of Dalmasca chuckled a bit at that line. It sounded all too familiar…

Steal me!

Ashe’s lips curled up in a bitter smile as she recalled her own rendition of the kidnap demand to her own pirate. Life imitating art… Gingerly she flipped through the pages of the leather-bound story book.

The thief in the story agreed to take the princess with him, just as the pirate in her own story had compiled to her own request. Together, along with their friends, the book’s thief and princess had gone on an adventure to save her kingdom. They won, of course, and the princess’ kingdom was restored. But not without a price. For the thief had gone missing after a hard-fought battle, presumed dead. The princess, though heart broken, moved on with her life and became the queen of her kingdom. On the day of coronation…

“Your Highness, everything is ready,” a voice called out from the doorway. Yes, it was time for the coronation ceremony, wasn’t it? But Ashe couldn’t bring herself to step out of her bedchamber, not just yet. She had no idea what she was waiting for. Something? Or someone, perhaps?

“In a moment,” the princess replied with a slight hint of impatience. She then heard soft footsteps shuffling away from her doorway. With an edgy sigh, Ashe once again turned her attention to the book in her hands.

The princess of Alexandria was crowned the new queen, yet she wasn’t happy. No amount of cheers from her people could bring a smile to the young queen’s face. Then, a play in the honor of the new queen was performed. Still, not even the magnificent performance could brighten the queen’s heart. Until the cloaked figure in the play pulled off his black cloak and revealed to be the missing thief. The queen rushed to the thief, glaring at whoever dared to stop her. On her way to him, her heirloom crystal pendant fell on the ground, yet the queen didn’t bother to pick it up. She had a greater treasure waiting. In his open arms she went, and stayed…

“Your Highness,” another intrusion from the hallway. “Marquis Ondore sent words-“

“Tell him I am on my way,” Ashe interrupted the messenger rather abruptly. She waited a few moments until footsteps faded away and put down the storybook.

The princess of Dalmasca walked towards the pair of glass doors leading to her private balcony. Though she chose to remain indoor, not wanting to be seen by anyone. For reasons beyond herself, she was trying to delay the ceremony, she admitted to herself shamefully. Was she afraid to take on the role of the ruler? Or was there something else? Ashe didn’t want to think. She let her eyes wandered at the scene below her balcony. Faintly, she could see people gathering on the streets of Rabanastre, all waiting for her appearance, for the ceremony. She was the hope of all her people, Ashe realized. A new day, a new era, a hope of long-lasting peace. The responsibility came with such high hope was squarely hers to shoulder, and hers alone. As the sole heir to the throne of Dalmasca, Ashelia had found no other way to escape her fate.

… Beside running away with a certain sky pirate…

Ashe sighed in resignation. Fantasy was always more luring that reality. Yet fantasy was not where she lived in. With one last glance at the distant crowd, perhaps with the last hope of seeing a glimpse of some short brown hair, Ashe matched out of her bedchamber and into the waiting arms of all the Dalmascians.

Ashe couldn’t remember much of the ceremony, she later on realized. Standing on an open carriage, the would-be queen dressed in the finest gown and waved at the crowd mechanically with a very faint smile plastering on her face. It reminded her too much of her wedding parade for her own liking. She’d had Rasler by her side then, her future had been bright. Yet now, she was all alone on the way to the grand staircase. And alone she would be as the next ruler of Dalmasca.

Once more, Marquis Halim Ondore was standing at the top of the stairs with his cane in his right hand. Marquis Ondore had been there to conduct ceremonies for her wedding, for all funerals, and now her own coronation. How much longer could Uncle Halim be able to stand by her side, she wondered idly. Ashe silently berated herself for thinking such ill thought of her beloved uncle. Yet the aspect of her truly being alone was more terrifying than she would’ve let on. Ashe felt her plastered smile start to fade.

Then, when she least expected, from the corner of her eyes, she spotted a head of short brown hair on a fairly tall man. Ashe chocked on her own breath as she felt her heart soared up to the sunny sky. Quickly and wildly she turned, without caring for the gasps from the crowd her suddenly movement had cause, nor how non-queenly she looked, nor the fact she almost stumbled off the carriage. She had to find the man who caught her attention before he disappeared in the crowd!

Though fate seemed to have another idea. Her eyes locked onto the brown-haired man’s, and once more, her heart sunk back to the icy bottom. It wasn’t Balthier. The disappointment on her face was painfully obvious, yet try as she might, she couldn’t mask it any longer. She simply didn’t have the strength to keep up her façade.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to smile and wave anymore. The ride had stopped. All eyes were on her as she began her ascend on the red-carpeted stairs. Al-Cid Margrace was watching her through his sunglasses with his “little birds” forever guarding his side. Ashe could feel the intensity of his gaze as well as his appreciative smile, but she chose to ignore it. Larsa Solidor looked on with a content smile on his young face; Basch stood faithfully by the young king as Judge Magister Gabranth. Ashe couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with them either, for they might see all her emotions through her eyes. Lord Larsa was well-known to be wise beyond his years, after all.

Instead, she forced her eyes on the carpeted stairs in front of her every step. Her light silk gown suddenly felt heavier than any full heavy armor she had every put on, effectively slowing her pace as she approached the top. The knot inside her grew tighter and tighter as her anxiety became almost unbearable. At this very moment, Ashe would rather go fight Yiazmat than to take that very last step of the stairs.

The princess could feel her Uncle Halim’s proud gaze upon her. She somehow felt rather ashamed, as if her momentary weakness had betrayed Marquis Ondore’s faith in her. Though Ashe really couldn’t help but feel as though she was caught wearing her mother’s exquisite evening gown, trying to fit into something that was too big for her to handle gracefully. She could only hope that she’d be half the ruler her father once used to be.

Standing in front of Marquis Ondore, Ashe humbly lowered her head and went down on her knees. The powerful voice of the Marquis flew right by her ears. All she could hear was her own pounding heartbeats. Ashe could’ve sworn if it weren’t for her mouth being shut tight, her heart would’ve jump right out of her chest.

It was not until she felt a light tap on her shoulder by the ceremonial blade that she realized the ceremony was coming to the next phase. Ashelia looked up and dutifully recite her oath to Dalmasca. Both with pride and fear. She could barely contain the tears from her eyes when Marquis Ondore carefully placed the ceremonial crown on top of her head. The crown was heavily made with gold and platinum, adorned with countless diamonds and other precious stones. Too heavy to be worn comfortably. But it was the weight of Dalmasca she felt crushing on her shoulders that had almost caused her to buckle.

Almost.

Ashe caught herself and put on her best regal look. She reminded herself that, somewhere beyond this mortal plain, her father, her mother, as well as all her brothers and Rasler were all watching over her; Ashelia B’nargin must not disappoint. With a perfect posture that would’ve made her mother proud, Queen Ashelia raised from her kneeing position and turned to face the roaring crowd.

So that was it. Her fate was sealed. She was now a queen and would die a queen. Her life belonged to Dalmasca. For all the hopeful faces in front of her, Ashe’s loneliness would indeed to be a small price to pay.

Though, somewhere deep within, perhaps the last flame of hope hadn’t been extinguished, as the new queen caught herself unconsciously scanning amongst countless faces, looking for a particular one that had been haunting her dreams, occupying her mind. She stopped her searching gaze and forced herself to smile and wave at her people.

Queen Ashelia was no fool; she knew she would be sorely disappointed if she had expected to see her sky pirate dashing through the crowd, waiting for her with open arms.

The young queen of Alexandria in the story had a happy ending, but the young queen of Dalmasca wasn’t naïve enough to expect one of her own. After all, Ashelia B’nargin’s story was never meant to be a fairy tale. Her hands were meant to be on the arms of the throne, never to be in the arm of a sky pirate.

She had her land; he had his sky. Was that not enough?

Queen Ashelia dared not answer.

Next: The Leading Man.

A/N2: This chapter is dedicated to my BFF Eregil, the very same of Silence: Vincent Valentine message board fame. We had a long and serious discussion on who should be crowning Ashe. Since there’s no one really appropriate for the job, we settled on Ondore. Eregil didn’t think her own uncle should do the job cause they’re related and Ondore’s a leader himself, but we had no choice. Personally, I’d love to see Al-Cid crowning Ashe, just to piss off Balthier. You know he’d be jealous.