Disclaimer: All characters in this story are property of Square Enix and Final Fantasy 12. I just wrote the story is all.
It's rather annoying, the way he reads aloud. If he were in her country, she would have asked him politely (maybe) to stop. But since this is his country and she is a guest of his family in his house, she cannot do anything except try to read her book in peace.
The House of Margrace is a very extensive household, taking up several manors that dot Rozzaria, and the library of this particular Margrace household is just as extensive as the family, if not more so. Ashe had been happy to find this library, since she took great joy in reading, and the books here were all so new to her. There were so many different stories she had never heard; so many fantasies of chivalry and mystery and tragic romances. And of course, the history books here were different than they were in Dalmasca. Because of the newness of it all, Ashe spent the vast majority of her time in the library when she was not talking politics with the family heads.
But it was exceedingly difficult to concentrate on the book in her hands when Al-Cid Margrace was sitting a few chairs ahead, lazily reading out loud of who knows what. She rubbed her left temple with a few fingers, sighing silently but heavily. Sometimes she wondered if he did these things just to see how she would react. Then again, Al-Cid always did have a way of acting that suggested he didn't know how his actions affected others.
Her allowances for his behavior were quickly pushed aside in favor of annoyance. Above all, shouldn't he be sensitive to the carnal rule of libraries, which was silence?
...Who was she kidding? Not a single moment spent in this house had been quiet, so why should it matter now? It was a welcoming household, to be sure, what with so many people living here and – no no, she was determined to be annoyed of this place. Oh, where could you even begin? Well, first there was Al-Cid's father. He was quite hospitable, but he had the biggest from-the-belly laugh she had ever heard, as well as a booming voice. His brothers were possibly as terrible as him, with their long, drawn-out looks at her and charming ways of talking, which was both amusing and vexing. And his little cousins were so obnoxious, running around and playing tag even in the throne room. They were rather adorable though, and they were young. Just the other day, one of the little girls had run up to her and given her a few flowers to put in her hair.
Ashe can't resist a smile at this, but quickly perks up and replaces it with a frown. This place was not like Dalmasca, and therefore she would not think well of it!
She stared at her book, then sighed in surrender. Maybe it wasn't the household that bothered her. Maybe it was just the Rozzarian rascal a few feet in front of her who wouldn't close his mouth! All he ever did was talk! With his family, the servants, his maids (here, she rolls her eyes a little bit), and with just about everyone else! And the way he had carried on when he'd received her into his house! It was almost a perfect repeat of Mt. Bur-Omisace, the whole kneeling on the ground and kissing the hand thing, along with all his flowery words! The only perk of it all, she admits after much stubbornness, is that even gentlemen back in Dalmasca would not have gone to such great lengths to be polite or kiss her hand.
But regardless, the word "ridiculous" only barely described him.
She guesses that maybe he'd seen her annoyed look, because his voice dropped to a softer tone. At this, she didn't know whether to be grateful or even more annoyed. He was quieter, but she could still hear his whispers, as if he was teasing her. Haha Ashelia B'Nagin Dalmasca, it's my house and I can do what I want, my name is Al-Cid Margrace and I'm the noisiest man and most shameless flirt aside from Balthier that ever existed~!
She winced, almost growling in annoyance. If this is what she's actually been reduced to thinking, she needs to regain her wits. Sighing a little, she takes in a calm breath. It is not that big a deal. It's his library, he can do what he wants, and she is a queen. If she could handle the very nasty, deformed Vayne Solidor on the verge of taking over the world, she could handle the sound of the soft words floating through the air.
So she looks down at her book, but closes her eyes and tries to adapt to the voice so her sanity remains intact.
And so she starts listening to his voice. The annoyance and sting of frustration begins to wear off. And she begins to find the voice rather...calming. And very warm. She admits that he has a wonderful voice, and that perhaps the annoyance from before was just self-made to avoid thinking about this.
Now, if only he'd use his voice constructively instead of using it to help in his chase after skirts.
Her eyes open so she may try and regain her focus, but she begins to ignore her book in favor of the velvety Rozzarian that's running through her ears. Ah yes, that was another thing. The man was Rozzarian, so he spoke in Rozzarian. And Rozzarian was not a sharp language like that of Dalmasca, or odd-sounding like that of Bhujerba, or formal and slightly poetic like that of Archadia. It was smooth and rich, and she finds her eyes closing again. It's a charmer's language, she thinks defiantly. But he's speaking it now and it just sounds so...so...
Her eyes shoot open to dissolve her security in his voice and salvage her annoyance, but it's too late. She's admitted the truth to herself, and it's not going to leave her alone now. She feels very comfortable now, listening to him read about...he was reading about weaponry? Heavens above where was her mind going if she found his voice attractive even when he was reading about something as trivial as weaponry?
She sneaks a look at him, but that only makes it worse. There he was, sitting with a boredom that borderlined arrogance, eyes slowly taking in the words on the pages before him as if he were looking at a woman, trying to guess what she was thinking. He looked rather relaxed, which was good because although his family was large and they all helped run the country, he still had a lot on his shoulders. Seeing him like this was like seeing a whole other person.
She realized that she had been staring, and quickly snapped her eyes away while she hoped he hadn't noticed. Great, now her heart was pounding.
Well, this is pathetic, she thought to herself as she rested her forehead in her hand, shutting her eyes. She had just been incapacitated by a man speaking Rozzarian. ...A very attractive man speaking Rozzarian. Yes Ashelia, just digging a grave for yourself now.
"Ashelia?"
Her eyes opened wide now in horror. Oh NO!
"Are you alright?"
His voice is closer now. Drat! He'd gotten up to see why she's acting out of sorts! She slowly lifts her head, hoping not to look at him with anything less than a glare, but it almost doesn't work when she notes that he looks a little concerned, a small crease between his eyebrows. She turns away, not looking at him.
"I am fine," she says defiantly, though her cheeks are tinged pink. They have been tinged pink for the last few minutes actually, a fact that makes her feel rather stupid. "I just feel a little under the weather," she says, trying to lift her eyes but being unable to. She does not want to have to meet those concerned eyes again. "I think I will retire to my room early today."
She gets up to leave, but he almost stands in front of her and narrows his eyes at her. For a moment she thinks she's been caught, her ruse unveiled, but then realizes he's just studying her face, most likely for signs of illness. ...How embarrassing.
"You do look slightly unwell," he said. "Shall I call a doctor?"
"N-No, no, it's alright," she says, knowing perfectly well that he's about to object because she just stuttered, and Ashelia B'Nagin Dalmasca does not stutter. It's just that his stupid voice is so close now, it's making her heart pound so loudly that she's sure he can hear it.
And then, of course, to add to her distress, he catches her wrist and she can't help but look at him straight in the face. "I think I might anyway," he says, the concern having spread from his eyes to his voice. "You look a little...out of sorts."
"It is nothing," she says, regaining her annoyed face by some grace of the universe. "Dalmascans always get a little ill when traveling to other countries. It is nothing I am new to. I shall be fine. Please, do not trouble your family with this."
She manages to tug her wrist out of his hand, although she has a feeling that now he's just confused, his raised hand lingering in the air where she tore her wrist from him. At least he isn't following her. She catches a look at him before rounding the corner to walk out the door. It's true; he did look confused. Incredibly confused.
She sighed in relief.
"At least he won't ask my anything aside from something about illness," she said to herself. The image of his face entered her mind and her pink tinge turned to red. Now she felt like she really had a fever.
...Great Ivalice of the Earth, she hated that man.
A/N: One of the more obscure pairings in Final Fantasy XII, I happen to have a small soft spot for this slightly impossible pairing. It makes for some laughs, that's for sure. Half the fun of this was just writing out what would be going on in Ashe's mind.
Well, thanks for reading!