Author's Note: This is dedicated to my wonderful friend Alexiel! She had done this beautiful picture of Basch on her DA and dedicated it to me. (Please go an see it! Yay!) I had to do this for her.
This was originally supposed to be a funny one. I have had this idea for Knight Nurse a long time, and it was going to be a silly comical one, however, upon writing it, it didn't have that feeling. So it's a comfort/romance type. I'm not completely 100% sure about it, but I didn't want it to go on for too long. Alex, I hope this is all right for you, and good enough for the Basch/Ashe gals.
I also seem to be putting a lot of Welsh phrases now into my stories. Thanks to me Gran's phrase book I can get translations etc. I want the Welsh sound and phrases to be very much like the language spoke in Landis. I can just hear Basch's beautiful gruff voice speaking such a complex and beautiful language! *sighs*
Any hoo! Please enjoy. (Also any mistakes, I apologise. I'm not perfect.)
Knight Nurse
Basch wasn't used to being greeted in such a manner.
Upon entering through the front doors, the Queen's servants offered up brief welcomes before clutching and snatching at his bags and scurrying away in a frantic manner. Not even the knights of the order were staying around in one place for long, rushing off when beckoned. In fact, everyone's mannerisms were beginning to worry Basch as he was left standing in the large white hall, watching them scurry to and fro, by himself.
There were concerned calls echoing from the corridors nearby and from up the great staircase, but still none of Ashe's staff would come and greet him properly, or tell him what was going on.
Yet Basch decided to be patient.
Ashe may not be ready to meet him. On some of his past visits over these last four years, she had taken a rather large number of hours to make herself look presentable for her "old friend." After long hours waiting in the throne room Basch had seen her come in wearing the most beautiful dresses in all of Ivalice and her hair was so elaborately and intricately curled around her head. Such detailing to her hair and make-up would have taken a lot longer to do if she hadn't had her servants to help.
"Presentable" indeed. A little over to the top to meet an "old friend", but Basch couldn't deny that every time he had seen her, his heart had almost stopped at her beauty. Yet today and now, this delay wasn't because of her desire to make herself beautiful for her Judge Magister. Ashe's demand for perfection in her appearance never made any of her staff like this.
So could it be the stress of the demand on her?
Ashe had a lot of responsibilities especially with her council and tending to the needs of her people. Another reason for her absence and possible disruption of the palace staff could be due to a council meeting haven gotten heated. Knowing how fiery Ashelia was, (he chuckled to himself at how intense she could be) Basch suspected it was more than possible for the Queen to have been pushed to her limits by her politician's pressure.
The Judge Magister decided not to wait any more, but before he went over to one of the guards who had resumed his position at the front doors, Basch had a sudden but small worry.
He thought of what had occurred just now.
He was left on his own (more or less) in the front hall, servants were in a heightened state of panic, but they also looked scared for their lives. The Queen was no where to be seen and neither were any of the council and Knights of the Order, except their distinct voices were calling from afar. The palace was in chaos and that very rarely happened.
There was one other reason on why the palace would ever get like this and that would mean that someone had really upset her and they happened to have done it at the wrong time of the month. Basch recalled during their journey together how irate she had become and how he, Vaan and Balthier had suffered most harshly at her spiteful and heated remarks.
He hoped it wasn't that.
Then, he saw the hurrying form of Maya, the Queen's lead Healer, coming down the stairs. Basch knew her from when he was a Captain of the Order and to see the Royal Healer blatantly ignoring him sparked more worry inside of him. He stormed over to her and gently grabbed her arm.
Maya was not used to being man handled by Archadian Judges, especially ones as intimidating as Basch was in his Gabranth armour. She jumped in fright and Basch felt her shaking in his light hold. He didn't want to frighten her any more, but he couldn't just take off his helm to reassure her with a friendly smile, she would recognise him.
He let go of her and bowed.
"My apologises, Healer." he said, imitating his brother's more formal gruff voice from behind his metal mask. He straightened up and looked up towards the stairs. "Where is Queen Ashelia? What is going on?"
"Judge Magister, there is a big problem. Things have not been well today and her Majesty regrets not being here to meet you, but as soon as…"
"Is there something wrong with the Queen?" Basch asked a little more forcibly, interrupting the woman. "Because if there is, I will have you take me to her."
"Judge Magister, this is a delicate matter. We appreciate Archadia's concern towards her Highness, but be assured that we are doing all we can to remedy the situation and…"
"She is ill?"
Basch didn't wait for any reply.
To him this was serious. Ashe was sick and she must be very ill to get the palace staff and Maya so worried like this. He stormed towards the stairs and proceeded to leap up two, three sometimes even four steps at a time, not caring if some of the metal plates of his armour were digging into his thighs.
Maya cried out for him to come back, even some of the guards appeared out of nowhere and began to run after him. Basch heard their calls for him to stop, but they wouldn't be able to stop him, short of shooting him or slicing him with their blades and they wouldn't dare to that to him.
"Sir!" Basch spotted a high ranking Knight of the Order making his way back towards the throne room. He smiled to himself when getting closer, he recognised the deep ebony skin and close shaved head of the man.
Idris Garner had and was still, in Basch's mind, a close friend of his. They had grown up together with Vossler ever since they were twenty years old and it pained Basch to be unable to embrace his friend like they used to. Garner didn't know who he was, he didn't know that Basch Fon Ronsenberg was alive and was now serving Archadia, but deep down Basch knew that his friend never believed the lies that were told.
"Judge Magister Gabranth." Garner's smile was slight but not as wide spread across his dark face as Basch was accustomed to. As he continued to hurry down the corridor, Basch matched his pace and long strides. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave and retire to your guest accommodations. Her Majesty is in no fit state to grant an audience with anyone…now."
"I respectfully ask to see her anyway, sir." Basch said. "I would like to help, if I can."
"What can you do, Judge Magister?" Garner stopped in his tracks and the smile vanished from his lips. "Do you feel you can make well her majesty, better than her own personal healer can? You barely know her."
"Barely know her? I have been acting as liaison between Archadia and Dalmasca for over four years, she and I are…"
"It's not as simple as that, your Honour." Garner interrupted.
"Then explain it to me." Basch gentled his tone a little more. "Emperor Larsa is a close friend to Her Majesty and news of her ill health will be grave news indeed for him. He would want to know."
"It is a delicate situation, Magister Gabranth, we do not want news of Ashelia's illness to be widespread. Her people would worry." With a motion of his gloved hand Garner signalled for Basch to follow him.
The two marched down the corridors together, just like they had done many times before, but when they reached the throne room, evidence of Ashe's illness became very clear.
"I am NOT SICK!"
Her angry cries, at whoever was in there with her, never ceased. She was beyond livid as she insisted that there was nothing wrong with her and that she was perfectly capable of doing her duties today. However, Ashe's words were stuffy and bunged up as if she had…
"She has a cold?" asked Basch confusingly, just before the tell tale sneeze erupted from behind the doors. The two men jumped back at such a loud sneeze, which was immediately followed by more of Ashe's denials and quite shockingly something breaking.
Garner shook his head and placed his hand against the door's handles.
"If she had, it wouldn't be a problem."
"Its not…. " Fear gripped in Basch's throat as he thought of the worst possible infliction she could have contracted. "…the plague. It hasn't come back has it?"
Garner shook his head again and such a simple gesture made all the fear escape from Basch through a relieved sigh.
"No…it is not the plague. Maya said what it is and well…it is unusual."
"Pray tell me."
"She has the Bangaan flu."
"Bangaan flu?!"
Basch was more than confused.
The Bangaa version of the hume flu was, if you were a Bangaa, a simple thing to recover from. However it was more intense than any Hume strain. During his years in Dalmasca, Basch had been witness to many cases of it; he'd seen Bangaa who had caught the flu become increasingly violent, delusional and paranoid. One or two rare cases, Basch had noted that their strength increased and they became even more resistant to spells. Their fevers were erratic and their bodies would lapse into vicious convulsions and the sneezes? Reports had Bangaa sneezes ten times more unpleasant than hume ones. Especially if you happen to be standing directly in front of the Bangaa in question.
Never in over sixteen years could he recall Humes catching the Bangaan flu.
"It is possible, Your honour." said Garner, smiling as if he knew what he had been thinking. "It's extremely rare for humes to catch it, but it does happen. Why just only last year I knew of two who came down with it. However, we believe her highness contracted it a week after Migelo, a local businessman, accidentally sneezed. Her Highness unfortunately got in the way."
Basch shook his head in dismay. Poor Migelo, the frail old Bangaa was a good man, so kind and generous and having sneezed on the Queen of Dalmasca? The man must have been so upset, apologising profusely and constantly towards Ashe.
"Her Majesty was taken back by the suddenness of it all." Garner said, pressing his ear against the door to hear what was going on. "Even Migelo didn't know he was going to sneeze. A couple of days ago, Maya confirmed that Queen Ashelia did have the virus."
"Ashe should be in bed resting."
"Nothing appeared wrong, in fact apart from a few sneezes, she was fine. No one had objections to her doing a few light duties, but it was only today that…"
There was another crash, a scream and loud sneeze before the doors were flung open and several council members and delegates walked out at a brisk pace. They saw the Knight and Magister preparing to enter and all at once they began to hound upon Garner.
"You are supposed to be looking after her!" said one silver haired councilman.
"She is in no condition to be out like that!" said another, waving his cane harshly at the Captain. Garner just leaned back to avoid being hit by the thing, but he allowed their angry comments to keep coming.
"And none of you thought to actually take Ashelia to her chambers?" asked Garner after they said it was all his fault that Ashe was allowed to make a mockery of herself. "Did not one of you attempt to carry her back?! You fools!"
Basch agreed whole heartily with his friend's words. There were about thirteen council members, surely they could have picked her up and carried her.
"We tried to physically lift her, but she would have none of it!" said a short podgy pig faced man. "She wouldn't let us near her!"
"For goodness sake, Captain Garner do something! She practically assaulted us!"
Garner and Basch both looked at each other and if Idris could have seen the expression on the ex-knight's face, he would have known that he had been thinking the same thing.
"Faram forbid that to ever happen." Garner uttered his sarcasm so light that it was lost on all of them. "I will of course see that she gets rest immediately."
The men and women of the council seemed satisfied, some of them gazed up at Basch briefly, slight loathing furrowing on their faces before leaving. Their comments and concerns were no longer directed to him as he wasn't the Knight in charge. He wasn't even in Her Majesty's service, merely a Judge Magister of Archadia. No one of importance to them.
Basch looked into the long room, past the rows of red cushioned marble benches to the arch way. At the top of the steps and beneath the archway was the throne of Dalmasca, but Ashe was not sitting in it.
"Majesty…."
Basch wasted no time at all and half walked and half ran over to where his queen was shivering. Her condition was awful indeed, her skin was pale as snow, her body was trembling and she was muttering to herself. Her congestion was really bad as she could barely breathe, so her mouth hung open taking in all the air she needed. Her eyes were the worst, for they were bloodshot and swollen and they were void from Ashe's strength and soul; she looked so empty and hollow but she was shaking, now evidently too weak to stand.
"Ashe…" Basch knelt down in front of her, took off his gloves and reached for her trembling hand. Her skin was burning up, it was slick and clammy from the sweat. "Why don't you come with me?"
She didn't respond to him, instead deciding to gaze at the vase her father had given her; a beautiful piece made by ancient Galtean artisans. It had been made of delicately glazed blues and greens, but unfortunately it was now in shattered pieces by the wall., a priceless piece of history lost because she had thrown it in her angered state.
It seemed the Queen was entranced in a daydream and no one else existed. Even when Basch held both of her hands and gave them a squeeze, Ashe didn't so much as flinch.
At the main doors, Maya and the other guards arrived, but they were stood by the door watching with a mixture of fascination and confusion as the Judge of Archadia tended to their queen. His gentle comforting actions were strange and suspicious for them to see and at that moment, Basch longed to take off his helm so they could all see who he was. However, right now it wasn't old friends or acquaintances he wished to put at ease.
"Ashelia…please, you are not well." he whispered quietly, giving her hands another squeeze.
Three very eruptive sneezes in quick succession roared suddenly throughout the throne room. Basch had to tear himself away, but even in the Queen's awful condition she had managed to put her hand over her mouth and nose to prevent her germs from spreading. A reflex action, one that Migelo obviously hadn't learnt.
"I don't understand what the problem is!" Ashe sniffed in deeply, her words distorted as she both breathed and spoke through her mouth. "I am not sick! It's only a slight cold, I don't need people fussing over me!"
"You should not be here." Basch lightly whispered.
His words only received a swinging hand lashing out at him. Her swipe barely clipped at his helm for he had jerked his head back to avoid the hit, but Basch hadn't expected her other hand to follow through. It never actually hurt, for the fist on metal never contacted with his own face, but the blow was strong enough to make the demon horned helm reverberate. The clanging echo inside made Basch recoil slightly and it made it virtually impossible for him to avoid Ashe's kick to his knees.
"Get away from me!" Ashe ordered, pulling herself to her feet. She staggered several paces, like a drunk, before resting herself against one of the nearby marble pillars. Ashe ran a sweaty hand through her drenched hair before peering in a daze around her throne room. She vaguely made out Garner and the others by the door, but she didn't acknowledge them or even want to. "I have no time to rest! I can't afford to be weak!"
"Your Highness," Basch got to his own feet and stood behind her, worried at her swaying as he thought she might fall. "No one thinks you weak. You have the Bangaan flu and the more you exert yourself, the worse you will become. I can take you back to your room and can you lay down whilst Maya treats your symptoms."
"Bangaan flu?!" Ashe sneezed again, followed by a scoffing chuckle. "That's not possible! Humes can't get Bangaan flu!"
Basch's hand touched lightly at her shoulder, which was a mistake.
A surprise surge of strength from the Queen hit out. Her elbow jabbed so hard on Basch's chest plate that another reverberating vibration of the metal travelled down Basch's body, catching him off guard. She spun round and with one hand grabbed onto the left horn on the helm whilst her other began to pummel him.
This was part of the Bangaan flu that Basch knew all too well. The rages were brutal and unexpected and as Ashe screamed with a delirious fury, she beat and kicked against him, trying to rip off the helmet in the process. She almost succeeded but Basch finally had enough. Being polite wasn't getting him anywhere.
Through her profanities and curses, Basch grabbed hold of her and scooped her up in his arms. She screamed even more, calling him names and cussing him as he ignored her physical blows, but he strode through the room clutching tightly and refusing to let her condition phase him from doing what was right.
"What are you doing, Judge Magister!" gasped Maya as she and Garner followed him.
"I'm doing what all of you should have done before!" Basch growled, wincing as Ashe wrenched his neck in her attempts to still pull off his disguise. "I'm taking her to her chambers, where she needs to remain so her fever can be purged."
Ashe was furious with livid rage. She sneezed again but he never loosened his grip. Basch calmly whispered soft reassurances as her fists hit again and again on his helm. The constant prangs and vibrations were beginning to make him dizzy.
"I'll show you where to go, your honour." said Garner edging forward to lead the way. Basch quickened his pace ahead of the Knight.
"No need to show me." Basch said, clutching tighter at the thrashing woman in his arms. "I know the way."
Garner stopped dead. He stood watching "Gabranth" disappear down the corridor, his mouth hanging open in shock.
He knew the way?
The shock transformed into a smile. Ah, of course he would.
Idris should have known.
No one had ever handled Ashe like this before. No one, apart from her late father and one other man, had gotten away with telling her no.
He had called her Ashe…it had to be him.
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"Get those girls out of here!" Basch ordered when the doors to the Queen's chambers crashed open. The maids and even the lady in waiting herself were frantic, they were beyond distress as they watched the Judge Magister carrying their screaming and fitting sovereign. They hounded many questions towards him but he never answered. Instead they were ushered out by the guards and only Maya and Garner came into the room with Basch.
Ashe's body was burning up, her rage was surmounting beyond insanity and her strength and resistance against him was tiring him immensely.
"Fetch some cold water, some hand towels and plenty of Remedies." Basch ordered once more, placing Ashe down upon her bed. Mara already having known this had scurried into the suite next door and brought back the things he had requested.
Basch was more than struggling now. As Ashe was thrashing at him on the bed, it was a battle, a fight to gain some kind of restraint over her but Ashe was too quick and slight, slipping away from his attempts to grab hold and pin down her hands. Eventually he managed to hold her down, but only by straddling over her lower legs and his hands holding her wrists down at her side. Whilst she continued to thrash, he softly whispered to her, trying to make her understand that he was wanting to help.
"Ashe…please…listen to me." Basch's voice faltered with anguish. "It's going to be all right, we've got to get you well."
"GET OFF ME!! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Maya approached the bed with one of the hand towels soaked in dripping wet water. She was about to place it her on her Queen, but Basch snatched it from her and laid it across Ashe's forehead. The coolness of the towel did it's job, bringing the fiery temperature down, if only a little. She moaned and sighed at the relief, before coughing and spluttering once again. She sneezed a few more times, before moaning and as Basch using his hand to brush lightly at her face, Ashe struck out with an angry fist.
When that didn't get Basch off her, she hit him again and again, her body wriggling like a fish out of water and seething anger spitting through her clenched teeth. Looking into those red bloodshot eyes, Basch despaired. This lady, this embodiment of grace and pride, was reduced to the likes of berserked fiend, savage and wild. Basch's chest ached because he could not bare to see her like this. She had no idea what she was doing, but he had to get her well.
"Ashe…stop this!" Basch's voice croaked, his pleas failing to get through her fevering and riled struggles. Her body jolted and thrusted hard to try and get him off her, but the weight of his armour pressing against her body was too much. "Don't resist me. Please don't."
He dabbed the towel over her face and down her neck, squeezing cool water droplets across her skin, but Ashe wasn't calming down. Her fingers curled into claws and swiped at him, only catching with a horrid scrape against the metal of his armour.
"Cacha!" Basch swore too loudly in his own tongue as Ashe's knee then reared up in between his legs with a hard thrust. The piece of his armour had protected him from the full painful brunt, yet Ashe's action had dented it inward and the sheath scraped a little against the inside of his leg.
Too close for his liking.
The Ex-Knight's determination was stronger as he realised that no one else was going to be able to weather this delirium and anger. When Maya came to help and assist, a bottle of Remedy potion in her hand, the Queen's nails lashed out to her, tearing at the skin along her arm. Four red searing marks trailed down Maya's arm, the pain causing the older woman to jump back, dropping the Remedy to the floor.
"Cadw bacia Hiachawr , ad 'm gwna hon!"
The poor woman could only gaze in disbelief at the injury caused by her charge before staggering backwards at the unusual Landisian order. The dialect hadn't been spoken in the palace walls for years, so why was this judge spouting it out now?
"Healer, please…get back." Basch ordered again. "Allow me to tend to her! I have no idea how long this fever will last, so I shall risk no further injury to yourself. Leave the remedies and let me be here in your stead."
"But…her majesty." Maya gazed upon Ashe with sadness in her eyes. After years of being in the young woman's service, of knowing her, Maya instinctively stepped forward. There was a small hope inside of her that the Queen would not harm her, but this Healer of Dalmasca had not experienced up close, what Bangaan flu really did. Especially to humes.
Ashe's sneezes appeared to intensify along with her efforts to force Basch from her body and Maya noticed how the "honourable" Judge Magister was barely able to keep her contained on the bed. If he couldn't stop her fever, then an old frail woman such as she certainly wouldn't be able to.
"Let me help her!" Basch grunted harshly as Ashe screamed right by his ear. A swipe of her fingers caught a crystal vase on her bedside table and when it shattered into pieces, it sent water and flowers across the entire floor.
Maya was reluctant to allow this Archadian man to take her place, not wishing to relinquish her charge or duty towards the Queen, but she was startled once more when a soft hand touched at her shoulder.
"It's all right, Maya." Garner said gently. "I think Her Majesty would be in no better care than with the Magister."
The Healer was irked by the Captain's words, for Garner held no great friendship towards the Archadians and what they had done during the war. To have this man accept Gabranth's aid meant a great deal, but for Idris to trust the stranger to care for the Queen was an even greater shock.
"Surely you can take his place.." she uttered, flinching with worry at the sight of this black clad, almost demonic man straddled so disgracefully over her Sovereign. Garner shook his head.
"No. I cannot, not now. The Queen has the best care in Ivalice, trust me, Healer."
"But…."
It was only by pure chance that she heard through Ashe's feverish cries, the whisper of a word from the Judge. It was a word that one person had said often in the Queen's childhood, a word that soothed her and often brought a smile to her face.
"Fawredd…"
Majesty.
Maya knew instantly who this man was. So the stories she had been told were lies.
No, Maya could not do any more, nor would she want to.
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The doors were closed. There was no one else but Ashe and Basch, thus it was safe for him to pull off his Judge's helm. His hair spilled over his face, the long locks only providing the delusional young royal another part of him to hurt, but with a rapid brush from his hand, he tucked his hair behind his ears and allowed his face to be shown.
"Look at me, Ashelia." he said, hoping that she would open her scrunched up eyes. He tried once again to dab at her face with the flannel, but her head thrashed from side to side, avoiding his attempts to cool her down.
"Get off me! Get away from me!" Ashe hollered with all her might, her turning head spraying drops of sweat. "I don't need any of you!"
"Look at me, Ashelia!" Basch said more sternly. "Look at me!"
Ashe refused but then her chin and cheeks were seized by Basch's large fingers, each one squeezing tightly against her clammy skin and holding her head firmly in place. As her lips were squashed together, her eyes, glazed blood red with tears, finally opened. Through her daze and fevered vision, she peered upwards to see a faded and blurred face outlined with golden yellow.
"I don't know you." Ashe snarled, spitting with disgust. "Get the hell off me! GUARDS! GET HIM OFF ME!"
"They won't hear! You're in a fever, Fawredd." Basch responded, his voice still controlled with authority. " I am the only one here. Do you not recognise me at all?"
"Why are you straddling me as if I were some common whore?!" she spat back. "Get off me!"
Basch wasn't going to respond to her insane question, however his position over her was ungentle manly under any other circumstances, but to restrain her, there was no other way. He would get off her if she ceased her aggression towards him and rest, but he knew what the fevers did to the Bangaa. So far Ashe was acting just like one of them, crazy and unpredictable.
Extremely unpredictable.
It happened in seconds, Ashe just stopped struggling but bolted upright from the bed to gaze closer at Basch's face. She scrutinised every part of his features, her hand even came up and touched at his cheek. The soft fuzz of his beard appeared to comfort Ashe for a moment, he thought he saw her smile but it was interrupted with a fierce run of sneezes. Again, and quite thankfully, Ashe had turned her head away from him, but when she looked back, there was confusion in her eyes along with a definite fear.
"No…no…no…you're him! You killed my father!"
Ashe tried to get away from him, she struggled and screamed so much that Basch fell off her and off the edge of the bed. He cussed as he landed a little awkwardly, however his fall was brief and in no time he was back up on the edge of the bed.
Now the Queen was huddled up against the headboard, her knees tucked under herself and a small ivory handled dagger in her hands. She was sobbing, but her red eyes were so vengeful.
"Stay back!" she swore. "Stay back or I will put this knife in your gut like you put your sword through my father! GUARDS!"
"No Ashelia!" Basch slowly shuffled on his knees towards her, stopping when the blade nearly caught his face. "It was not I! You know it was not."
"But you were seen!" Ashe shook her head with confusion and gestured angrily with the knife. "I know it was you!"
"Who am I?!" Basch edged closer, his hands out stretched, "Tell me, Ashelia, who do you know me as?"
He could see the change in her face and the falter of the knife in her shaking hand. Basch watched the quivering tears pooling in her red eyes as her confusion and anger battled together.
"You're….you're…!" Ashe's words trembled from her lips. She shook her head and her hand gripped the dagger more tightly. "You are the Kingslayer! A traitor!"
Basch shook his head and crept ever closer to her. After several fumbles to avoid being cut with the dagger, his hands reached out to Ashe, subtly easing the dagger from her fingers and putting it aside. She flinched at how easily he had disarmed her and now the anger had vanished. She was afraid. The tears streamed down her cheeks and she tried to back away from Basch, but he took hold of her hands, his fingers lightly stroking at the back of her knuckles.
"Remember, Ashelia…remember what happened…it was not me…"
"It was your face!" she cried, trying to yank her hands out of Basch's. Her head shook with fearful denial and her mutterings beneath her breath stammered over and over. "Your face…your face!"
"Look at me!"
Ashe almost didn't want to, she was afraid to gaze at the face she knew belonged to her father's killer. She sneezed again, several times, hard and intense before looking up at Basch once again.
Her eye caught something different. Her hand nervously reached up and touched lightly at the scar that ran across his brow. It seemed all the events of those two years became clearer to her. As her touch stroked down the length of his scar there was relief and hope in her eyes.
"It was your face, but it wasn't you. It wasn't you…Basch."
Ashe slumped down, falling into him as his arms snaked round her waist. She began to writhe again, her burning fever turning to cold shivers, but his arms held and comforted her.
"I'm so sorry…" she chattered, her fingers clutching at the edge of a sheath of his armour. "I'm not well…am I? I think it might be best if I rest here a while. With you?"
He chuckled slightly.
"Indeed, Fawredd. But you will get well. I shall see to it."
No restraints were needed now. Although the cold shakes were still trembling throughout her, whilst her weakness continued, Ashe was now accepting his aid. She allowed him to press the cool towels against her forehead, she even managed to let him hold up a glass containing the remedy so she could drink.
Yet that was only just a brief moment of ease for them.
The Bangaan flu got worse for the Queen of Dalmasca, the days passed towards recovery were long and difficult. However, through the whole week and half, no one else in the palace even dared to disturb her and her "nurse." They didn't come in unless specifically invited by the Judge Magister.
So, the palace peace ensued. The staff, everyone now relaxed in the knowledge that their Queen was finally being looked after.
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Basch bolted up right.
He was blinded by the strong sunlight filtering in from the window and the golden light haloing the white gossamer canopy that now draped over the Queen's bed. Behind the thin shimmering drape, he saw on dresser table, unused towels, the remaining bottles of remedies and a finished breakfast tray. It had been yesterday that Ashe finally ate something to regain the fullness of her colour and her return to health made Basch more than happy.
But it had been a very arduous ordeal.
At times Ashe was coherent as anything, she remembered a lot. Basch had conversed with her, asking about her brothers, Vossler, everything and she recalled with startling clarity. She even mentioned that Vaan had this phobia of Dalmascan sand slugs. Basch had made her smile for the first time when he said he was too. In fact she had laughed, knowing that the sand slugs were completely harmless.
More than often, Ashe didn't know who she was. She had severe panic attacks, rages and again it was up to Basch to prevent her from harming herself. Once her temperature had peaked dangerously high he had to place her in the bath with ice cold water. At that time he had panicked, fearing that maybe Ashe could die from the Bangaan flu. Thankfully, it had just been that, fear.
Basch had gotten very little sleep, for Ashe's delirium didn't stop just because it had been night time. Having gone beyond exhaustion, he didn't know that he had fallen asleep right there on the bed next to her.
So now he turned to the right and became frantic when he saw the empty space. Ashe was no longer wrapped up in the soft silky sheets. Basch himself had been stripped of his armour which was curiously hanging by the door, neatly polished and cleaned. He couldn't remember what had happened.
"You're awake."
Her silhouette appeared on the canopy drape, blocking some of the sun from the window and when his groggy eyes adjusted, he saw her smiling face. Basch sat up and winced as all new aches and pains screamed across his entire body.
"I must have been horrible to you." she said, pulling back the corner of the drape and walking through.
Basch was so relieved to see her back to her normal self. She had colour in her cheeks, her eyes and whole demeanour was strong and her dress, though it showed off her slim midriff, shoulders and (a lot) of leg, Ashelia was achingly beautiful.
"You are better now, majesty." he said, sitting up right and adjusting the sheets lightly over his legs. "That is all that matters. I am…pleased."
"Not as much as I." she said, softly, standing with her hands clasped against her lap. "I've treated you so badly, I've given you new bruises and injuries and despite all that, my Knight Nurse remained by my side. You have done so much for me, Idris told me that you never slept and you wouldn't allow Maya to heal your own wounds. You take your duty too seriously, 'Your Honour.'"
"I did what your other knights should have done…I only upheld my vow."
"You didn't give Idris time or chance to do anything, apparently." Ashe let out a soft lilting chuckle and then sat down by his feet. "Yet when he found out who you were, he wasn't going to get in your way."
"That was nice of him." Basch joked, a deep amused laugh escaping his lips. "But Ashe, please don't exert yourself, its only yesterday that you started eating again."
Ashe moved up the bed, her hand taking hold of his. The corner of her mouth curled upwards in an amused smirk as her hand stroked his hair out of his face. The tenderness of her skin brushing against his was soft and warm, Basch inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering shut as he revelled in her scent of light delicate perfume.
"Basch, it's been three days." Ashe whispered close to him. "You've been asleep for three whole days."
His eyes shot open with astonishment.
"What? It cannot be!"
"Am I liar, now?"
"Forgive me….no…I just…."
"Stop apologising! You have been with me all the way through this and I will not forget it. Nor will it go unappreciated."
"I ask for nothing in return for seeing over you in times of sickness, Majesty."
Ashe sighed and shook her head, no doubt expecting this response from him. After all these years, of the times they had shared together, he was still so dutiful and proud.
With abated breath, she leaned right over him, feeling the racing of her heart, before planting a kiss lightly on his lips. Ashe let it linger there for a lot longer than she expected, for Basch responded to her kiss with a deep push, his arms slipping round her waist. She couldn't pull herself away.
When at last she could breathe again, she lifted her face away and Ashe saw the most handsomest and largest smiles she had ever seen him do.
"Do you often repay those in your service like that, Ashelia?" he asked, brushing his fingers against her hair.
"No." Ashe whispered. "Ond 'ch."
"Only me?" Basch bowed his head. "I am honoured beyond words, Ashelia…"
"Then be quiet, Judge Magister!" She replied, lying down next to him.
Ashe pressed her forehead to his and savoured the strokes of his fingers against the bare flesh of her waist, before kissing him once more. As their lips meshed together with an exciting rush, as his hands slowly undid the laces of her dress, she felt his breath gasp in her mouth.
"'m banon , 'm cara"
The End.