Disclaimer: I own neither Final Fantasy XII nor its characters.
I had once thought that we would have lived happily together but that thought is now laid to rest as you were laid to rest. My love, I do not fault you for seeking to protect all that you held dear. I could never fault you. My heart is now burdened with sorrow but I swear this I shall not give up. For my father, for you, I shall see my kingdom restored. My only wish is that you could be here at my side…
Two years later…
Ashe sat uncomfortably again on the hard surface of the throne. This wasn't what she pictured when she sought to rule. Her heart felt empty now. For a while she had friends, but those remaining she saw less and less of as duty pulled her away.
Her gaze drifted to the open window as she watched a bird fly by. She longed for the same freedom but she would never give up all that she had struggled so hard to regain. She had his memory to remember no matter how much in vain it might be.
She had voiced once that he was dead and he was. He could never rejoin her again by her side. She would never hear the sound of his comforting voice in her ear, yet it did nothing to stop her from dreaming about him night after night.
She had received a letter from Vaan and Penelo and absentmindedly fanned it in her hand. She did not want to forget him, she would not forget him. Yes he was dead, but her love for him was still alive. It had kept her going for two years. It was not something she could just toss aside for naught.
There were rumors of course. That she was involved with another, but she knew it was only rumor. The ones who spoke it knew nothing of her. They knew nothing of Rasler. They were the same fools who believed them married simply to join their kingdoms together. She knew the truth.
Ashe closed her eyes and stood. She walked the length of the throne room and made her way out to the balcony. She set the letter on the rail and looked to the sky. Perhaps if she closed her eyes, she could still hear him.
She took the letter in hand an opened it. Inside was something she had been missing for a while. She emptied the contents into the palm of her hand and smiled. She set the silver ring on the railing and turned the letter over. It was a simple note from Balthier, another friend she thought lost. Another slight smile played on her face, the insufferable man had been right after all.
Her musings were cut as a flock of birds soared along the palace and high into the sky. Ashe was swept up into their apparent freedom. Maybe she could move on now, maybe.
She glanced down at the ring and picked it up tenderly rolling it in her fingers. Yes she could move on, but she would always love him. She knew she could never change that no matter how much time had passed. She had been graced with the other half of her soul for such a short while, yet it was long enough to know that she would never stop loving him. She smiled once again and placed the ring on her finger where it belonged, right next to her own.