Being a Bunansa (2 of 2)
She didn't seem to have expected his response just yet. Or rather, the royal guard didn't. How thoroughly annoying for everyone involved, Balthier thought as he waited in mild discomfort for her arrival.
The sound of a door closing, light footsteps in the corridor with the metallic accompaniment of a knight's armor, and there she was, stepping into the lamplight, wrapped up in a robe that had been thrown on hastily. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but she fortunately held her tongue. Balthier could only imagine what would have happened if she spoke the name she primarily called him by, before all of these good, upstanding knights.
"Your majesty," he said, with as respectful a bow as he could manage when he had been ordered to stand up straight with hands in the air. "I do apologize for all of this commotion. If it's any consolation, it seems your men are much better than the empire's were, back in the day."
She nodded slowly. "It would seem so. All of you, at ease. This man will do me no harm."
"As you wish, your majesty," said the night captain - Balthier didn't recognize him - as he put away his sword. Some of the knights looked dubious, but if nothing else, they were loyal.
"You may continue with your usual rounds," she said, dismissing them, then turned to Balthier. "As for you, we should speak in private. Come with me."
He followed as she turned and strode back down the corridor - towards the bedchambers where they'd spoken previously, Balthier recognized. "You couldn't simply request an audience, could you," she observed, from a pace ahead.
"What can I say? I thought it best not to arouse anyone's curiosity but yours."
"You rather failed on that count."
"As I said, your men are better than I'd expected. Shall I make it up to you?"
She didn't look back at him, or slow her pace for him to catch up, but her reply was soft. "...I believe we should wait until we are back in my own chambers to discuss that."
"I would have to agree with you there."
It wasn't much further - he'd been most of the way there when the knights had closed in to surround him. One still remained by her door, having been designated to stand watch in case the intruder had been a diversion, no doubt, but she dismissed him as well. "This man is trustworthy," she told the knight, "for our lives have been in each others' hands many a time now. Haven't they, Ffamran?" His mouth tightened, but this was, he supposed, necessary.
"...It's strange to hear that name again," he remarked, once the door was closed behind them. "And a bit discomfiting. I'd rather not have it become a habit, addressing me as such."
"You were the one who first gave them the name," she pointed out, lighting a crystal upon the wall.
"I didn't suppose they'd be gentle with the notorious Balthier, unless you had ordered it." He wandered towards the balcony; he'd never felt comfortable in a palace. Unless, of course, he was there uninvited. "And that did not seem likely."
Casual dismissals aside, she had already caught on. "You would not use that name, but that you meant for it to be heard."
"You're quite observant, your majesty. Yes, I did come to accept your proposal," he affirmed, as she came to stand beside him, "should it still stand."
When he looked down, she looked as though she wanted to smile, but was still wary. "May I ask what changed your mind?"
"I considered it," he began, "and it was abundantly clear that I care little for House Bunansa - certainly it is no concern to me whether it lives or dies. ...In fact, I care so little that I see no point in standing in the way of its rebirth, should it chance to put in another appearance as I do a friend a favor."
She let out a breath which sounded just a bit shaky. He wondered if it was laughter or anxiety; he could not tell from the look in her eyes. "Thank you. I swear, it shall not affect your life any more than you choose."
Maybe it was neither, he thought. Quite possibly it was just relief. "Bear in mind that I will hold you to that," he said, flashing her a little smile. "Of course, if they discover that Ffamran Bunansa is no more, you and the child will be the ones caught in the backlash. I can always run away again."
"I am not unaware," she agreed. "But all who know thus far have kept the secret."
"Jules would tell anyone who asked for the right fee," Balthier mused. "But then, he has to hold his tongue when it comes to my doings."
"Oh?"
"Let's just say that I've known Jules for a long, long time..."
He wanted to sound clever. Unfortunately, she too was clever, and picked up on the truth. "Which is to say that the two of you have a mutual deep secret in your pasts, which protects from the other telling tales."
"If you weren't a queen, you could be quite a streetear yourself," Balthier sighed.
"I did the job well enough as a princess."
"Only because no one knew. All royalty have scandals, my dear, and it is a streetear's job to ferret them out. You'd be a lovely target, especially on a balcony in the silver moonlight."
"Because I am standing beside a man with a silver tongue."
"I'll take that as a compliment." He gave her a wink. "Speaking of scandals, would you like to get started on yours tonight?"
Her eyes turned away as she considered. "...That would be... acceptable."
He cocked his head to the side skeptically as she moved to step back inside. "You sound less than enthusiastic," he noted. "That's no way to put a man in the proper mood."
"I mean no offense," said Ashe, and though she'd turned away, Balthier could see that she clasped her hands together before her. He could just imagine the gesture, for he'd seen it many times before. "It has naught to do with you."
"Oh, believe me - I know." His words may have been dry, but his tone and the hand he placed gently upon her shoulder softened them. "I do have one condition, milady."
She inclined her head, as if shamed, but her voice remained proud. "Oh?"
"Remove his ring." He couldn't help but smile a little. "I may be a scoundrel in nearly every sense of the word, but married women are off-limits."
He was still smiling when she turned to him a few moments later, pensive but resolved. Balthier knew that he had been right about that gesture, for she'd hardly moved, but now the ring in question was in her palm, which was turned upwards as if to offer it. He shook his head. "I don't want it - I decided it didn't suit me when I had it before," he said, closing her fingers over it. "You keep it. "
She smiled a grateful smile back at him as she lowered her hand. "A test...?"
"I meant no more by it than what I said aloud. Besides," he added, leading her towards her bed, "why would I repeat a test which you passed some years ago?"
"I see." She set the ring down on a small table beside the bed, carefully. "I confess, however... without it, I feel... naked."
Balthier nodded and sat down on the bed. "But if we're going to do this," he told her with his most charming smile, reaching out for the folds of the robe she wore, "that feeling will be entirely appropriate."
Though the little sound she made was one of exasperation, she obliged, shrugging the robe from her shoulders. And, to his surprise - though he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, considering that it was Ashe - reached down to begin opening his shirt.
It was strange, he thought as the two of them rid each other of their various articles of clothing. She'd worn perhaps less than a nightgown when they had fought together for Dalmasca, and exposed more skin than the regal apparel she wore now, but he hadn't thought much about it at the time - no more than that she might have been a pretty girl, but he couldn't be sure, since she would not tolerate anything less than respectful looks. But then, he'd always believed that it was true what they said about concealment being far more erotic than exposure. Or maybe he'd just become accustomed to the baring of skin - just look at what Fran ran around in on a regular basis. Either way, shedding sheer layer after sheer layer of Ashe's bedclothes was exciting in a way he would not have expected he might ever feel for her.
It didn't seem to be so exciting for Ashe, Balthier thought, for she remained silent and stoic as she helped him remove his own clothing and lay it aside on the end of the bed. It was a very large bed, and Balthier wondered if this had been the bed that she and Prince Rasler had shared at their marriage. Hmph... knowing Ashe, she probably hadn't waited until they were married. Even so, it struck him as a sobering thought, and a likely explanation for how still and how somber she was as she lay, bare and beautiful in the moonlight, upon the soft sheets. At least she dared to look at him as he lay down at her side, just as bare as she.
She made a quiet, surprised noise as he bent over her, kissing her collarbone, and then down the center of her chest while his fingers traced over her ribs and downwards. "...Foreplay is not necessary for this."
He kissed her stomach, then lifted his head to give her a smile. "Oh, trust me, your majesty - it is." Not only did he like to please women in general, and women he was fond of more so, but given the chance to lie with the queen of Dalmasca? He was going to make sure that she damn well enjoyed the experience.
From the startled "Oh!" that she gasped a few moments later, he thought he was on the right track.
Afterwards, Balthier was not sure what to do. Most women seemed to want to be held, perhaps kissed. He was not the cuddly type, and he suspected that neither was Ashe. Except - as was the case with him - perhaps with someone special. He wasn't that person for her, she was not that person for him, and knowing it didn't put him off in the slightest.
She still hadn't quite caught her breath. Funny, she'd had more stamina than he had back in the day. But then, she had been living the royal life ever since, which was perhaps not as conducive to staying in the best of physical condition. Not that she looked any worse, particularly like this. But honestly? All Balthier could truly feel at the moment was protective.
On the other hand, he had no idea how to express it towards someone like her, who was determined to need no one's protection. It was safest to just lie there, and let her be.
It grew more awkward once her breathing had evened out, and yet they still lay there in silence, touching only incidentally and not even looking. Finally, she took a deeper breath and spoke. "...Thank you."
Her voice was as flat as Giza. Balthier knew better than to take offense - she was just thinking, that was all. Thinking, possibly remembering.
That wasn't the sort of thing he liked to do when in bed with a woman. "I'd say the pleasure was all mine, but I certainly hope that it wasn't."
"No..." One would never have been able to guess at the sounds she'd been making only minutes before from her distracted tone.
Well, that just wouldn't do. Balthier affected a thoughtful frown, turning onto his side to look at her. "...You know," he began, "all things considered, disposition and all that, I'd thought you would be... well, tighter."
She blinked and looked back at him in disbelief. Irritation narrowed her eyes after a moment; clearly no one ever spoke so irreverently to her. ...Perhaps that had been a bit too much?
Or perhaps not. "Given your reputation," she replied with a challenging stare, "I'd expected you to be larger."
Balthier mock-gasped. "Ouch," he remarked. He couldn't help chuckling, though - and sure enough, she gave him a little smile in return. Just as he'd hoped. "Is it all well with you, then?" he asked, quieting a bit.
She nodded. "Well enough. ...Though we will not know right away if this has been successful."
"Of course. Well, if it hasn't," he reasoned, propping himself up on one elbow, "you know how to reach me. Assuming you would want to try again. All joking aside, I did enjoy it."
"As did I," she agreed. "And yes - I would not give up. Again, I must thank you."
"You're quite welcome." She was growing thoughtful again, but Balthier sensed that this time it was a more pleasant sort of thoughtfulness. That was just as well, because he'd been doing some thinking of his own before he returned.
"...You know," he said, "despite all my concerns, I don't imagine the child really would go running off to become a sky pirate."
"Oh...?"
He shook his head. "Not as long as he - or she - will have a mother who clearly values him, who pays attention. A parent who knows how very important he is. If I'd had that much, I might not have left home myself."
She lowered her eyes. "...I'm sorry."
"Unless you're secretly my father, don't be. I'm quite content with how my life has turned out - if I wasn't, I would have taken advantage of this favor I'm doing for you to return to Archades in high esteem." He shook his head. "Not interested."
"On that subject," Ashe put in, "you never did name your price."
Not that Balthier had thought she'd forgotten, but he was still mildly surprised, and more than a little impressed, that she would remind him. "Even now? After I've already fulfilled my part? That's a dangerous wager."
"I did say you could ask for anything, and that I would see what I could do. It was that important to me."
Coming from the queen of Dalmasca, that was somewhat tempting... but no. "Financial compensation would make me a prostitute, your majesty - and I have enough unsavory professions beneath my belt already without making it literal."
"I thought not. You'd rather steal your fortune than have it given to you anyway, wouldn't you?"
"Very astute of you. The challenge is far more entertaining for me than the end result." But on a more serious note, he did want to make certain of something. "...Just... be sure that it is as I said before, that the child knows that he or she is cared for as more than just the heir to the throne, a vessel for Raithwall's blood."
Ashe nodded firmly. "I would raise the child to be proud of his heritage, and I shall also love him as my father loved me - for that too is a part of his heritage."
"Good. I have no intention of taking on an apprentice anytime soon." He paused, considering. "Of course, I'm sure the child will at least threaten to run off and become a sky pirate no matter how he's raised. Between the two of us, we couldn't help but create a holy terror."
Ashe's soft sniff sounded like a stifled laugh. "...This is true."
"And on that note," Balthier added, "don't entirely rule out the idea of remarrying. It's all well and good if you're strong enough to go on your own, but if you find the right partner, they can be invaluable even so."
"I would say that I envy you and Fran, the certainty and strength you have in one another," she agreed softly. "All should be so lucky as to find such a person... but I have no need for envy, for I found Rasler. I think that I should not be so lucky as to find another like him."
"I don't know about that..." Balthier turned onto his back, putting his arms behind his head. "Perhaps he was right for the person you were back then. You've grown since, and though he might have grown with you had he lived, now perhaps someone else could be a proper fit. There's no sense to ruling it out entirely. Besides, how could you think your luck was anything less than extraordinary?" he added, stretching lazily. "You met me, didn't you?"
"...And to think, I was about to say that you were more thoughtful than I'd given you credit for," Ashe muttered, but it was a good-natured sort of muttering.
"Of course not. Then you might get the idea in your head that you should marry me."
"Perish the thought," she said dryly. "Your notion of what constitutes pillow talk would drive me mad before the sun had gone down on the wedding night."
"Better than marrying Ffamran Bunansa. That lad simply came when called, did as he was told, skulked about finding ways to irritate his father without calling attention to the fact. Never stood up for himself when he was found out, because he was spineless. You'd find him boring." Balthier nodded, authoritative. " I know I did."
"...In that case, I can only be glad that you are he no longer." Ashe smiled a little and leaned over the side of the bed, looking for her discarded nightgown. "You clearly find Balthier much more interesting."
"As do all who meet him." Balthier flashed her his most charmingly exasperating smile as he reached for his own clothes. "Speaking of interesting encounters, I suppose I should be on my way soon, so I must ask - are there guards posted below your balcony?"
"When you go, you shall be leaving the ordinary way," she instructed him. "Through the door, with me as your escort."
"How boring."
"You are supposed to be Ffamran tonight," she reminded him.
He sighed. "Touche, majesty."
The moon had just passed its peak in the sky, and Fran was fast asleep by the time Balthier had returned to the Strahl - but he didn't wish to stay. There were some ruins that warranted examination at a site past Rozarria.
After being cleared for take-off, he paused for a moment with the craft in hover, looking up at the near-full orb and the stars over the desert below through the glass. If Ashe conceived, he could just imagine the gossip that would accompany the news when it broke in Archades. The children he'd grown up with would be boasting that they'd played in the streets with the father of the Dalmascan heir. The elders would be expressing their surprise that the moody, insolent Bunansa boy they remembered from the last years before his disappearance had somehow managed to find his way into the good graces of a queen, particularly one with such a fearsome reputation. That prick Jules would probably make a fortune from those who wanted a witness that the two of them had even met.
His father would have been proud. Balthier had acknowledged that before returning his answer, yet for once it hadn't given him the urge to turn aside, to do exactly the opposite. Perhaps it had something to do with the thought that even before his father had met Venat and changed so completely... even then, his father would have been proud - back when he truly was his father. The father who had taught his son about the stars, many years before either of them knew that the father would become Dr. Cid of Draklor and the son would become a sky pirate. Back then, finding the names and coordinates together, they had been just a father and son, and his father had been exceptional when it came to instruction. Though the Strahl had the latest in navigational technology (or rather, the latest for the year in which he'd stolen it), Balthier still could use the constellations as in the olden times.
...He wondered if he would be as good a teacher as his father had been.
...Maybe he could find out.
He put this inherited knowledge to use now, and finding east-southeast, ninety-seven degrees over the walls of Rabanastre towards Ridorana, he raised his hand in a little salute. "Cheers, Dad," he murmured. "Let's hope this one gets it right, hmm? It's not so easy, being a Bunansa. Yet... I suppose it doesn't have to be a bad thing, in itself."
