DISCLAIMER and WARNING are in the first chapter.

A/N: I feel that I haven't made it quite clear that this is a Vaan/Ashe story. There are other pairings in the story, but the main pairing is Vaan/Ashe (and possibly a little Larsa/Penelo at the side). And to P.. I know practically nothing about Revenant Wings, so this story will not take anything that happens in this new game into account.

To everyone who has reviewed the first chapter, thank you. Sorry for the long wait for an update. Hopefully you'll enjoy this second installation.

Tangled in Waiting

Author: Atthla

Chapter Two

Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor followed the palace guards with sure, brisk steps to the staircase leading to the lowest level of the Royal Palace of Rabanastre. Behind him was the constant shadow of his two personal bodyguards, Giar and Lucretia. Ever since they had arrived in Rabanastre, they had practically kept him under their nose, not letting him out of their hawk-like gaze even for a moment and certainly not now, when he was about to meet a supposedly dangerous criminal.

But it was understandable. It had only been five days since the poisoning incident involving Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca and the world was still shaken by this atrocious act. His coming to Rabanastre had been met with heavy opposition from the Senate, especially on the issue concerning his safety. They were particularly worried since he was the last member of the House of Solidor and had yet to have an heir. Larsa understood this, but it still didn't stop him from imposing his wish.

Ashe was a dear friend he had been fighting with side-by-side all these three years. It was true that they did not always have the same opinion about everything, but he respected the young queen and admired her courage. This kind of assassination attempt was the most despicable he could imagine happening to his friend and the emperor did not appreciate it. Not that an all-out war or rebellion was more desirable at any level, but poisoning?

Larsa had to squint when the small party finally descended into the dungeon. Their boots made a sinister echo on the dark mossy walls as flickering torches gleamed down at them. No matter what difference in culture there might have been, prisons were always similar everywhere, he reflected silently. Dark, gloomy, unpleasant. He wouldn't want to visit such places unless it was exceedingly important for him to do so.

Unfortunately, this was one of the exceptions.

He had heard about the imprisonment from Dalmasca's Minister of Justice and known at once what had happened. Penelo had told him in her correspondence about the visit she sometimes made to the Royal Palace with Vaan. These occasions were few and far in between but Larsa had no doubt that despite how it looked, Vaan's intention had been purely harmless. A visit made at the wrong time and place, it was what had happened – a simple misunderstanding.

Although the consequences were evidently far from simple if not catastrophic.

They had been going for some time now and passed five sturdy iron doors. Larsa couldn't help but to raise his eyebrows when they stopped again in front of the sixth. Here was the proof that the people of Dalmasca – or most of them at least – truly loved their queen. With this level of security, it was plain impossible for Vaan to attempt an escape, or for Penelo to try and rescue her partner. It seemed that the only reason why they had kept him alive was to wait for their monarch to decide a proper punishment for the convict herself.

It was only natural. After all, sky pirates didn't have the best reputation. It would be wise not to take any chance, especially with one as famous as Vaan whose name had echoed far and wide, even to the interior of the grim council halls of Archadia.

Their short journey ended before one of the backmost cells. Through the iron bars, Larsa could see a young man sprawled out on the cold stone floor. Sky-blue eyes cracked open slightly at their arrival, but other than that, the prisoner didn't show any sign of interest. He barely stirred when one of the guards pounded on the bars loudly either.

Sighing inwardly, Larsa stepped forward past the palace guards and glared down at his old friend. "It was a very unwise thing to do, do you know that?" he declared, not bothering to filter the annoyance out of his voice.

Those blue eyes opened wider as their bewildered owner sat up slowly, trying to get a better look at his visitor. Larsa waited, unsurprised by this reaction – which he had so often received nowadays that it had become almost repetitive – until recognition dawned on the sky pirate's face.

"Larsa!"

He could sense Giar and Lucretia tensing at this insolent way of addressing him, but had raised his hand before they could express their displeasure. "I'm glad you still recognize me, Vaan," he said with a dry tone of voice.

"You've grown so tall!"

"And so I have been told in countless occasions," he murmured to himself before turning to the palace guards flocking around him. "Guard, the door please."

This order was obeyed with obvious reluctance, which Larsa noticed but refused to take any action on. Vaan had risen to his feet, his eyes glued on him still as the guards fumbled with various locks. The young emperor observed him in return and was forced to admit that three years had made a difference not only on him. Vaan still stood a little taller than him and retained that passionate, vibrant aura around him, but there were glaring changes he couldn't help but to notice. To begin with, the sky pirate seemed much more mature than he remembered. The way he carried himself was exuding confidence, one thing that Vaan had profusely lacked three years ago. His body had become lean but not without the necessary muscles in various places, a proof to his active life and the amount of time he had spent wielding a sword. His fashion sense also had evidently improved with his fame – and without doubt the quantity of his loot too if the fine fabric of his clothing was any indication.

Larsa would have never dreamed associating this word with Vaan before, but despite his grimy condition, this young man in front of him looked rather cocky. Not the pompous kind of cocky, but the confidence of someone who was sure of himself. Almost like Balthier, the emperor thought to himself, but not exactly alike. The captain of Strahl possessed some kind of mature elegance Vaan did not and probably never would, but on the other hand, the younger sky pirate always had this boundless vigor rippling beneath his tanned skin, something that Balthier was short of in his calm, measured demeanour.

There was only one thing that bothered Larsa about this old friend of his. Even under the dim torchlight, he could see various dark bruises decorating the other man's skin, especially on his exposed chest. He could guess what the cause was but still wondered how such things were allowed to happen when Vaan's guilt had yet to be proven. Surely the judicial system in Dalmasca was better than that.

"Ain't pretty, is it?" Vaan suddenly said with a grin as he stepped out from his cell, obviously noticing the way his younger friend frowned.

"You should not make light of such condition," Larsa said disapprovingly, which only earned him another grin from the sky pirate.

"I know my body. Takes a lot to break it down completely, you know," Vaan replied – his tone completely and inappropriately too nonchalant in Larsa's opinion – and made an attempt to smooth down his clothes, fingers lightly skimming over spots where there had been buttons once. Again the young emperor wondered what kind of treatment his friend had received which was rough enough to make that kind of damage until Vaan's voice returned him to present attention once more.

"Why are you here?"

Larsa started formulating a comprehensive answer in his head but then decided against it and said instead, "Your question will be answered, but this is hardly a suitable place to converse. Follow me." He turned around and retraced the path he had come from earlier. Vaan easily fell into step next to him, much to his bodyguards' further annoyance.

"There is not much to tell," he began as they passed along the dark prison corridor quickly. "The news reached Archadia four days ago and needless to say, I set off as soon as possible with Judge Magister Gabranth. I met Penelo outside the aerodrome and she told me about you being detained and accused of the crime, so I spoke with the Minister of Justice as soon as I arrived here."

"Is she alright?" Vaan asked quickly.

"She is worried sick of you," Larsa told him flatly.

"No, I mean Ashe."

This struck him as more than a little strange but Larsa decided to answer before making various conjectures. "She has regained consciousness, but the royal physician said that her condition was still too weak for him to say anything for certain apart from the fact that her life is no longer in danger."

"Oh," his friend looked doubtful but said no more. They lapsed into a thoughtful silence, which continued until they had reemerged from the dungeon back to the breezy Rabanastre air. He dismissed the guards for a little more privacy, leaving himself with his two trusted bodyguards and Vaan to continue their trip.

"A lot of rumours are going on concerning your presence on the site," he spoke again when they had moved along to the upper level of the palace, his tone somber and careful.

Vaan looked genuinely confused. "My presence?"

The younger man raised an eloquent eyebrow. "Surely you understand, Vaan, that she is the Queen of Dalmasca?"

His friend grimaced. "I knew it's gonna be a problem. Making friends with sky pirates isn't something a queen normally does, is it?"

Larsa cleared his throat. "Well, no, but that is not what I mean either." He paused, feeling very awkward about the subject he was about to bring up. However, Vaan did not show any sign of understanding this delicate situation and so he was forced to continue with a tight voice. "People are wondering why you were there at that particular time."

"I went to visit her," Vaan told him with a frown, not yet grasping the most important point he had left unspoken beneath his short explanation. "Sometimes I did that, you know, although usually with Penelo and... oh shit. Shit. Shit."

Larsa gave him a dry little smile. "I see you are catching up."

Vaan's face remained in its horrified state for a few moments before he stirred to respond. "Yes, but... damnit, we're just friends!"

"With the circumstances, you can hardly expect people not to start talking," the emperor pointed out solemnly. "I understand it was quite late?"

"Because I had to wait for three hours before she finished with whatever business she was having," he shot back rapidly, sounding almost panicked. "A Rozarrian party or something. I didn't mean to stay so late, but– I never thought..."

"Obviously," Larsa said with a sigh, wishing that he could feel completely sympathetic to the other man's distress. One of the reasons why he couldn't was the utter thoughtlessness of his action which had landed him behind bars, which was so foolish and careless that he couldn't help but to think 'how could he'. But as for the other reason...

He frowned and chased the thought away from his mind. Now was not the time to dwell on it. Later, after he had a chance to sit down and talk over things with Penelo. Returning his attention back to the sky pirate, he asked as neutrally as possible, "What are you planning to do now?"

Vaan's reply was sharp and immediate. "Find out who did this and wring his neck with my own hands."

"Your single-mindedness is remarkable, as always," Larsa mumbled, speaking half to himself. This made his friend glance suspiciously at him.

"Is that supposed to be a praise?"

"You can take it as one," he answered mildly and entered a door where two royal guards were standing on guard at each of its sides. Inside was a lavish waiting room, normally used by guests who were waiting for their turn for an audience with the queen. Penelo was sitting on one of the many couches furnishing the room, one hand clutching the other anxiously. She jumped to her feet at his entrance, her face hopeful.

"Larsa, how is it? Is there– Vaan!"

Having just noticed her partner behind the young emperor, Penelo rushed up to him right away to engulf him in a hug. Vaan's arms automatically came around her and Larsa felt his heart clench painfully at this sight. This was the other reason, he realized, why he had never been able to completely like Vaan. Between them stood this young woman who had stolen his heart as easily as snapping her fingers.

There would always be her.

"I'm okay, Penelo," Larsa heard the sky pirate calming her and tried to ignore another wave of heartache. "Sorry to make you worried."

"I thought something bad happened to you," she replied in a half whisper, her voice a breath away from a sob. "People on the street talk about you with so much hate."

"At Lowtown?"

The slightest smile made an appearance to her face, brightening it momentarily. "No, everyone at Lowtown doesn't believe that you did that. They know you, but it isn't the same for the rest of Rabanastre."

"I guess I'm an infamous criminal now," he grinned, cockiness covering every inch of his voice. Larsa was tempted to point out that he had already been an infamous criminal before this incident but was distracted by Penelo's honey-brown eyes resting on him.

"Larsa, thank you so much," she took one step closer to him and wrapped her hands around his – an act which, he noticed, made his two bodyguards bristle silently. They were not used to see their emperor treated as an equal by either a sky pirate or a mere street girl, but Larsa figured that if he could live with it, they should be able to manage the same or better. And it wasn't as if he himself didn't consider them his close friends – or more, in her case.

Too bad it wasn't him who put that faint glimmer in those beautiful eyes.

"Don't mention it," Larsa muttered quickly, determined to keep personal emotions away from this, at least for now. After giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, he threw a glance around the room. "Where is Judge Magister Gabranth?"

"Oh, he went with the Minister of Justice," Penelo explained, an uneasy look flitting across her face. "It seems like your coming has caused a little bit of trouble."

Larsa was surprised. It was true that his decision to come had been abrupt, but Dalmasca had undoubtedly been notified. There should be no trouble, even if the Lady of the Kingdom could not oversee the necessary preparation by herself.

Catching his puzzled look, Penelo asked quietly, "Is it something serious?"

Larsa quickly shook his head. "No, I am certain it is nothing the judge cannot easily sort out by himself," he answered and then turned his gaze to Vaan. "What is your next plan, if I may inquire?"

The sky pirate didn't miss a beat to answer. "Like I said, find out who did this."

"That much I have gathered," the young emperor said with an audible sigh. "Do you have any real means to accomplish your goal?"

"Sure. I know a lot of back channels you nobles can't even begin to imagine," Vaan told him with a small grin. "The poison was in the wine, wasn't it? I hadn't a drop, but she drank it without suspecting anything strange, so it must be tasteless and odorless. That kind of poison is hard to come by, isn't it?"

"And then?"

"You can't buy stuff like that in an ordinary shop," he continued, his blue eyes shining with anticipation. "High-class apothecaries aren't going to sell those either, except behind doors, but even so, they must have gotten the supplies through the black market. Or maybe those wicked plotters got someone to buy it for them from Lowtown. Either way, they're out of luck this time. Both Lowtown and crime are within my area of expertise."

When Vaan had finished sharing his deduction, Larsa had to admit that he had greatly underestimated the sky pirate. Maybe it stemmed from the fact that a street urchin like Vaan certainly had never undergone any formal education. It still didn't mean that he was stupid though, Larsa told himself sternly.

"Your method is worth trying," he acknowledged, objective enough to do it without any spite in his voice. "But first of all, we need to know the name of the poison. The royal physician must have done some research on this."

At that moment, a knock came from the door, followed by the arrival of a royal guard. He bowed deeply toward the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, Her Highness the Queen has regained her full consciousness and wonders if you would come and meet her in the royal chamber."

Before he had the chance to express his willingness, Vaan had cut in. "Can we come?"

"Is the Queen in any condition to accept more visitors?" Larsa asked, aware that in this room, a question coming from him would be taken much more seriously than that from a criminal, no matter how notorious.

The guard looked hesitant at this request. "That I am not at liberty to say. Perhaps the royal physician…"

"No, it is fine," Larsa nodded at the guard and then turned toward his friend, speaking softly, "Wait here. I shall ask her about it."

Leaving his two friends in the waiting room, he followed the guard through long halls and corridors, only faintly aware of Giar and Lucretia's faint footsteps behind him. The beauty of the Royal Palace of Rabanastre was legendary, but Larsa found himself unable to enjoy this display of exquisiteness now. His mind kept returning to the assassination attempt, and then Penelo, and then the attempt again, before it finally made a final dash toward Penelo and refused to be diverted no matter what.

If only things were not so complicated. Larsa hated that word – if – but at this moment, he couldn't help but to wish. Sometimes, it was so painful for him to think about her that he also wished that they had never met. He might not be happier, but everything would be better, simpler.

He was so immersed in his thoughts that they had arrived in front of the royal chamber without him realizing. The guard opened the door for him, announcing his arrival to the queen, and Larsa stepped in. The chamber was filled with the smell of medicinal herbs, which was so outlandish to him that he had to wonder what it was for a moment on the threshold. The room itself was bright and almost cheerful despite the somber atmosphere, with every window and door leading to the terrace outside opened to let warm sunlight pouring in. Cool refreshing wind wafted into the room, billowing delicate, almost transparent curtains of many colours.

Larsa was once again struck at how different Dalmasca and Archadia could be. He had always felt at home within vast council halls, shut from the outside world, away from his people's eyes, sheltered from the icy whispers of winter wind. His own bedroom was a closed haven surrounded by sturdy walls and a pair of windows which were seldom opened, because it would not be wise to offer a would-be assassin an opening to slip in. As a prince of Archadia, he had been raised loving silence, coldness and dignity. They were foremost in his life. Without them, he was nothing.

Dalmasca, however, was different. This chamber alone had spoken as much, a blend of cheerful colours and soothing spring breeze. He felt that this was a place where people trusted each other, although the most recent incident might speak differently. Larsa loved Archadia, but after spending a lot of times in Dalmasca – especially three years ago – be it in the stunning Royal City of Rabanastre or the scorching Westersand, he could see why this kingdom held a special place in so many people's heart.

The first person he noticed in the room was his own judge magister. Basch stood next to Dalmasca's Minister of Justice, Firio Pavarell, his helmet set in the crook of his arm. They bowed at his entrance, which he returned with a slight nod before sweeping his gaze further into the room. Wearing a peach-coloured gown which must be far too warm for a fine spring afternoon, the Queen of Dalmasca was half-sitting in a long divan, her upper back propped on one end with many tasseled pillows while her feet stretched toward the other. She turned a pale face toward him when he approached, and smiled.

"Milord Larsa, please pardon my less-than-appropriate condition to meet you," she greeted him and inclined her head slightly in apology. Her voice was stronger than he had expected, but he could still detect a trace of lassitude in it, as if the queen was not fully conscious yet.

"Do not let trivialities trouble your mind, my Queen," the young emperor quickly said and seated himself on a chair prepared next to the divan. "How are you feeling?"

"Exactly like I have just been poisoned," she answered with a hint of a smile, "which is the case, I believe. Still, I thank you for your visit."

"It was a most despicable incident," he said, letting his sentiment on the matter be known, especially since there were audiences in the room. He could see from the corner of his eyes that the royal physician, who had come from an inner chamber somewhere in the middle of their conversation, was looking at him curiously.

"Minister Pavarell has just told me that an investigation is underway," the queen said, nodding to her Minister of Justice who was standing at the feet of her divan.

The Minister bowed slightly at this address, his face darkening. "But I regret to inform you that our investigation has yet to yield any result, Your Majesty," he replied, sounding disgusted at his own answer.

Ashe gave him a reassuring smile. "You cannot rush these things. I am certain that we will come across a definite evidence sooner or later."

"Your Majesty is too kind," the minister murmured.

"I expect a comprehensive report later this evening," she said again with a steadier voice. "For now, may I have the room for a moment? There are matters of utmost importance which I need to discuss with His Majesty the Emperor and Judge Magister Gabranth."

Larsa was sure that he caught a hesitant look directed at him from the minister, but the latter withdrew without speaking, followed by the royal physician. He waited until the door had been firmly shut behind them before looking at Ashe again.

"Is there anything wrong?" he inquired.

The young queen had a troubled look on her face, which was mirrored in the tightness of her voice when she said quietly, "I have a favor to ask."

"By all means, my Queen. I shall do everything within my power to see it done."

She shot him a little smile and began, "Pavarell said that he has taken a young man in custody, a young man who by accident was in my company when the incident happened. He was Vaan. Please see to it that he is released immediately for I do not believe that he is behind this at all. I will issue a direct order, but my present condition doesn't allow me to make sure that everything will be well carried-out."

It was not unexpected, but for the briefest moment, Larsa wondered why the request was made to him. To idea that there was no one the young queen trusted enough in her own kingdom to do this for her was disconcerting.

But was it true?

"It has been done," he answered and received a surprised look from her. "As a matter of fact, he is here waiting to meet you."

"Vaan?"

He nodded. "And Penelo. Do you wish to see them?"

A new light came into the queen's eyes, almost like a glimmer of happiness if he were any judge of it. "Yes, of course," she breathed out in relief. Again, Larsa was forced to consider a rather disturbing idea concerning the people around her. As the Emperor of Archadia, he himself was not in a position to have many genuine friends, but at his side he always had Basch whom he trusted much like his brother, the former Judge Magister Gabranth.

He began to wonder if it had been a good idea to take Basch away from the queen's side. Perhaps he had not all the say in this matter – after all, Basch had made a promise to his brother – and really, he needed him, but still…

The judge magister might be thinking of the same subject if the strange expression on his face was anything to go by. But he stirred from his silence and bowed low toward the queen, only saying, "I will go and bring them here, Your Majesty."

She nodded at him gratefully. "Thank you, Basch."

After the judge magister had left, she turned to him again. "Forgive me, I could not openly ask you in front of Pavarell," she explained, her voice heavy with many underlying hints.

"I understand," Larsa replied with a little smile, acknowledging this subtle tact he himself had performed in many occasions. "He isn't involved in this, but he is still a sky pirate."

"Exactly," she murmured, closing her eyes momentarily. A pained look flashed across her pale countenance before she opened them again and sighed. "I should be more careful."

He leant closer, as close as appropriateness allowed him to, and asked gently, "How did it happen?"

"I do not remember clearly," she answered, frowning in an attempt to concentrate. "Vaan was there in my chamber and we were talking about a lot of things. It must be the wine. Everyone knows that I always take some before going to bed. But why now?"

The question thrown in at the end of the explanation went unheard to Larsa as his attention had already been captured by certain information she had unconsciously given him one sentence earlier. He stared at her for a long time until he found his voice again.

"You have a habit to drink before going to bed?" the emperor asked, sounding much calmer than he actually felt. Still, she seemed to realize what he had left unexpressed for suddenly she looked slightly uncomfortable.

"It helps me to sleep better," she explained quietly but offered nothing more.

He refrained himself from making another comment on the subject and moved to a more pressing topic. "The suspects are many, I suppose?"

Ashe's smile was tired and small. "It is unavoidable. Dalmasca has yet to fully restore to its former glory and my works so far are only adequate at best. Many people are not satisfied with their new sovereign."

"You did what you could, milady," he pointed out, but she shook her head stubbornly.

"I could do better."

Larsa frowned, but his intended response was interrupted by the arrival of a new party. The door was barged open as if a small whirlwind had decided to break it down, followed by a voice clamouring, "Ashe!"

"Vaan." The young queen looked relieved to see her newly-arriving guest, but immediately frowned at the sight of many discoloured bruises covering his chest. Her hand stopped in mid-air, a mix of guilt, annoyance and concern colouring her voice as she whispered, "Those bruises… oh, my guards were treating you–"

"I'm alright," he cut off her concern by a careless wave of hand. "What about you? Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"Quite fine actually," she managed a reassuring smile, and when disbelief crossed the sky pirate's face, added, "At least not as bad as before. I have pretty much recovered from the effect of the poison." Then her gaze went past Vaan and rested on his partner, her smile widening at the sight of an old friend. "Hello, Penelo."

The younger woman curtsied awkwardly and said in a flat polite voice, "Your Majesty."

Ashe's smile dimmed a little and although she covered it quickly, Larsa had already caught the momentary slip. Before he could dwell on it however, he had his own astonishment to deal with first. Penelo. Her reaction was not what he considered natural. That was not how the girl he had known and fallen in love with would react in a reunion with a friend. She was uncomfortable here with the queen, but Penelo, as far as he knew, was not someone who bothered with titles or status. It was almost as if she considered her as…

And suddenly the realization dawned on him so quickly that he didn't even have a chance to feel shocked.

The next few seconds trickled away slowly. Larsa sat motionless, staring at his friends speaking to each other but hardly noticing. He felt hollow, worn-out, but now he understood.

Yes, he understood.

He had long suspected that there was something between Penelo and Vaan, but the girl had never told him anything of that nature. Her letters were full of stories, of adventures and close escapes, but never a hint of anything romantic – he did not count Vaan's escapades with numerous other girls as romantic, thank you. It could be that she felt uncomfortable of sharing him those stories, but he knew that she would tell her if it was about her and Vaan. And so he had hoped and hoped until one day, not two weeks ago, when he had finally decided.

It might make their relationship awkward, but Larsa knew that he had to do something, especially with the Senate breathing down his neck on the subject of heirs to the Archadian throne. Larsa had no difficulty admitting to himself that his heart had been captured since three years ago, but the final decision obviously involved more issues than just the matter of his heart. This was about the Queen of Archadia. Clearly, a highborn lady would be infinitely better than a girl brought up on the street of Rabanastre.

But he loved her. This was what had made him try.

First of all, of course, he had to get the lady to say yes. Penelo would have a lot to think about, not only about the challenges that she would undoubtedly face with the glaring lack of her status, but also of the duties she would have to attend as a consort of the king. To accept this, he realized, required nothing short of love. If she didn't love him, she wouldn't want to go through all those troubles.

And so he decided. In his last letter, he had hinted a possible development in their relationship, in hope to make clear of the matter. If his feelings were not reciprocated, he could deal with his heartache and go ahead with the search for a perfect queen. Whatever the answer was, it was better than continue living in uncertainty.

Now he realized that it wasn't as simple as that. He was right about Penelo having feelings for Vaan, but he hadn't known the rest.

It was a chain, one person loving another who loved another who loved another, and it went on until who-knows-where. He loved Penelo, but she loved Vaan who, as far as he could see, returned none of these feelings and had his attentions on Ashe instead. The queen, on the other hand, he had known to love another sky pirate who shared a bond deeper than anything with his partner. It might not be love, but Larsa knew that Balthier – for whatever reason – had never tried to do anything despite their princess's feeling having been clear enough for the whole world to see.

"Milord?"

He was shaken off from his thoughts by the inquiring voice. Larsa discovered that every eye in the room was on him and he cleared his throat uncomfortably, mumbling, "Pardon me, my mind was on another matter."

"It is almost noon and you must be tired from the long journey," Ashe said with a hint of apology. "I will arrange for lunch to be prepared immediately and your chambers readied. We can continue our conversation after lunch if you do not mind."

"That would be splendid," he replied courteously

"And Vaan," she turned her misty-green eyes toward the sky pirate, "please forgive me for my guards' harsh treatment. They seem to have forgotten that you were one of my comrades who aided me in my mission to reclaim the throne. And please accept my invitation to stay at the palace for several days. And Penelo too."

"I..." Vaan looked uncertain at this proposal, his eyes glancing around uncomfortably. "Uh, well, I don't know. It's gonna be awkward, I think. You know, with my profession and all..."

"It's an apology," she told him, a firm note in her voice.

"Well, if you insist, I think I can do with some bath," he finally said with a grin before turning to his partner. "What about you, Penelo? Fancy a warm bath and soft bed?"

"Up to you, Vaan," she replied and the strained little smile on her lips made Larsa's heart ache. Her partner, unfortunately, didn't seem to notice.

"That's that then," Vaan said, his sky-blue eyes never leaving the queen. "We'll see you later then?"

If there was any need for him to confirm the true subject of Vaan's affection, Larsa felt that he had gotten it.

End Chapter Two

A/N2: So things have started moving a bit here. We'll see more from the others's point of view later, but for now, please review. Comments and reviews are very good for an author's soul.

P.S.: A little help here, please. How old is Larsa in the game actually? If he mentions it at all, I must have missed it.