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‘Your Highness, I don’t mean to implicate you…’ ‘Then what do you mean to do Basch?’ I growl, ‘Princess, I saw you…’ ‘Saw me what? You saw that Balthier had slept next to me last night, does this implicate that I went to bed with him?’ ‘No, Your…’ ‘Does it imply I am romantically involved with him?’ ‘Well…’ ‘DOES it imply that I am in love with him?’ ‘Certainly not, Princess ‘Then all is said and done, for I was merely cold, last night and however I choose to keep warm be it a what ora who, is no business of yours’ ‘Lady Ashe!’ Basch barks ‘The fact of the matter is you appeared to spend the night with a half-naked Sky Pirate, of dubious intentions and even worse morals, and it is my duty to protect you, from whatever, or whoever I see fit to do so!’ this argument is not getting me anywhere useful, so I decide to change my tone, ‘Basch,’ I ask quietly; looking him honestly in the eye, ‘do you trust me?’ ‘Yes, I do’ he replies, his voice becoming quieter also. ‘Then trust me when I tell you nothing happened last night,’ I can see Basch relax; I think I have won him over and begin to calm down. This trek across the Ozmone Plains has been hard enough without having to spend the entire time arguing with him. Balthier has managed to slip away somehow, the cause of all this and he’s gone off to play Pirates with Fran and the children. ‘However, Capt.’ he nonchalantly adds, as he strolls in from nowhere, No! I think, ‘please gods no’, ‘Rabanastre was another story, was it not Princess?’ How is it that he manages to appear whenever it serves to inconvenience me most! Just as I smooth things over, Balthier takes it upon himself to intrude and ruin everything. He gives me the Smile that makes him look like he owns all of Ivalice but is merely dropping by to see us for a social visit, if such a smile exists. Basch visibly stiffens and looks me in the eye, ‘Lady Ashe?’ he enquires ‘What about Rabanastre?’ ‘Well if I might illustrate…’ Balthier theatrically extends his arm towards me; obviously he’s prepared a story with some demonstrations involved. I look past his hand to Basch. ‘He is lying Basch, nothing happened in Rabanastre, take my honor for it.’ I sneak a look at Balthier, hoping to see some hurt or emotion in his face for denying him, but instead he looks at me like a hunter watching his mark, and fiddles with the cuff of one of his shirtsleeves as, just out of Basch’s hearing he says *********************** I suppose I could take offence at ‘The Lady Ashe’s’ denial that nothing happened in Rabanastre, but every time she tries to hate me, cross me, hurt me or ignore me, it just makes her every bit more adorable to me, and I can’t wait until the next time I can have her again; and I will ensure there always is a next time. As the Gariff rambles on about something of very little interest to me, (i.e. no money to be made) I stand back and stare at my latest pursuit, and find myself imagining what it will be like to hold her again, ‘Balthier?…Hello?’ Penelo rather rudely interrupts my train of thought, but I realize that the others have already gone, and it is getting dark, Ashe obviously finished speaking with the Gariff Elder quite a while ago. ‘The Gariff have given us tents to stay in for the night Balthier, everyone else has gone to bed’ ‘Sorry Penelo’ I say with a smirk, ‘I was miles away…’ although ‘miles’ does depend on the distance to her bedroom. ********************** As I sit down on the bed in my tent, gratefully provided for me by the Gariff, I am thankful for a space of my own, not having to share anything with anyone. This day has been epically hardwearing, finding out that the Nethicite was useless, bickering with Basch constantly, and seeing Rassler’s spirit again is the worst; because not only do I miss him, but also I feel guilty for not missing him as much as the last time. I sit on my bed and undress. I slip into a robe left for me on the bed, which is too big, but soft and comfortable, and take some simple pleasure at the feel of a different fabric against my skin after so long traveling in the same clothes. I hear something stir outside my tent, and by the gentle candlelight, I see the man stepping into my room. ‘Balthier, go away please’ my voice is calm and steady ‘I am not in the mood for you tonight’ ‘I will mark your face, if you do not leave soon’ I threaten, and he looks at me when I say this, but does not leave instead he walks straight up to me, standing so close that I can feel his breath on my face, and says, ‘Ah, did you ever consider, Ashe, that perhaps if you stop running from me, I might be able to stop chasing you?’ He exhales, and I feel myself leaning into him subconsciously, I look into his eyes, and I know that if don’t turn away in the next second; I am likely to do something I will regret. ‘Every time you run, you will find that I have to chase you’ he continues, ‘because you are so utterly irresistible to me’ he places a hand on the sleeve of my robe, then raises an ironic eyebrow, nearly making me laugh, when he notices how comically big it is for me, and gently tugging me close to him, he says in a low tone, ‘but at least it makes it easier, Princess, that I am also utterly irresistible to you’ ‘You underestimate my willpower Balthier’ I say coolly; hypocritically unable to stop staring at his mouth, as he runs the tip of his tongue across the back of his teeth, ‘Oh really?’ he says as he rests his hand on my hip, ‘and what willpower would that be?’ Our lips meet somehow, and I find myself kissing Balthier yet again, he quickly breaks away to give me a look that says ‘Wasn’t I right?’ and before I can organize my thoughts he swiftly kisses me again, forcefully and intensely. I remember Rabanastre, and that makes me remember what he told Basch today on the Plains, and a with a smile around my lips, I pull my mouth slowly away from his, intending to make this as torturous as possible, ‘Pray tell, pirate’ I say in a seductively innocent voice, ‘wherefore did you find reason to disclose our little secret to the Captain today? For if you don’t provide me with one, I shall be forced to break your neck,’ I gently play my fingers around his shirt cuff, grazing the inside of his wrist with my fingertips, which is making him veryrestless, I have never seen him look this worked up before, normally the epitome of restraint, his breath is fast and shallow and he repeatedly clenches and unclenches his fists, ‘Break my neck you say? Now that would be interesting…’ he leans in hurriedly to kiss me and release his tension, putting a hand up to my neck; but I move away, and putting a finger on his lips, ‘I am waiting for my reason’ I smile as he begins to fidget uncomfortably, unhappy at the cat and mouse game being played with him. ‘Sky pirate by name, sky pirate by nature’ he says thoughtfully, and gives me a predatory look ‘what else would you expect?’ he takes his hand from my neck and starts to wind my fingers round his own, until he has my hand held before him, ‘Mischief and mayhem wherever I go,’ he; obviously deciding that two can play at this teasing game, then kisses my hand and I feel the very tip of his tongue touch against my skin. He raises his eyes, ‘Will that do?’ ‘No, it won’t, so you will have to leave now’ I pull my hand from his, turn around and walk towards the door, to show him the way out; but he grabs my hand again firmly, ‘Oh no you don’t’ and with a flick of the wrist he spins me back into his arms, giving me a particularly inspiring kiss. I feel his hand slip into my robe, and he runs it across my bare chest, his ticklish fingers tracing patterns onto my skin. I place mine own hand on his chest, and feel the contours of his muscles though his shirt as I drag my fingers across it. Then I stop my palm on his stomach and push him away, and as our faces part I see with a smile that his eyes are still closed and he wears a euphoric expression, his moist lips still parted slightly, obviously not expecting my next move, ‘I will show him willpower’ I think. He opens his eyes and looks at me questioningly, ‘Good-night Balthier’ I give him one final kiss, just long enough to give him ideas but not long enough to satisfy, I appear to have won this round because he looks very tightly wound, a wicked smile spreads across his face as he realizes my game, ‘Good-night Ashe’ he drums his fingers lightly on my chest, as he withdraws his hand and returns to his own tent, he stops briefly at the door to blow me a playful kiss, ‘see you in the morning’. ***************************** ‘And what is it your after, Balthier? He asks as we depart the Gariff village in the morning, ‘you’re a welcome hand, and a great aid, but why? ‘Worried I’m out to steal the Nethicite, Eh?’ Its not the Nethicite I’m looking to steal, she’s already told me to do it once before, and I can’t say no to a beautiful woman, ‘can’t say I’m unaccustomed to people doubting my intentions. Nothing could be further from my mind.’ she commands most of it all by herself, ‘Shall I swear by your sword or some such?’ I ask with a hint of sarcasm, intending to make him back down ‘Apologies, I needed to know where you stand’ Last night, I stood in her bedroom, ‘Her Majesty depends on you, and you seemed to have an interest in the stone’ that would be because she carries it around with her, Basch can sometimes overlook the most obvious things, ‘I’m only here to see how the story unfolds’ I say truthfully, which and whose story that is however… ‘Any self-respecting leading man would do the same.’ As I walk off, what I don’t mention how any self-respecting leading man also always gets the leading woman.
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