CHAPTER FOUR

Balthier let out a long sigh.

He was lying width-ways along the large, four-poster bed in the room Reddas had graciously issued him within his manse, and was staring up at the ceiling. His hands laced behind his head which was slightly overhanging the mattress as he reflected on the day. The party had fled to Balfonheim after their assault on the Draklor Laboratory had not gone to plan as they had hoped. There, Balthier had looked into the face of a man he hadn't seen in six years and whom he barely recognised.

'What did I expect, really? Open arms and a complete change of heart?' He told himself. 'Grow up, Ffamran.' He fell deeper into his melancholy. So much so he almost missed the knock at the door.

"Come in." He called. He assumed it was Fran and so didn't bother sit up. Fran had seen him in situations so much worse then this, a little mood wasn't going to make her uncomfortable. So it was to his complete surprise that he saw (albeit, from a slightly upside down viewpoint) the Princess Ashe enter the room. He quickly started to right himself.

"Oh, Princess. I'm sorry, I thought you were Fran."

"Please, you don't have to get up on my account." She protested. "Please, as you were."

He had to laugh at the stately delivery of the command. He wouldn't continue to stay in such a position with company in the room - Fran being the obvious exception. Still, he had gotten a lot more comfortable with Her Royal Highness, especially in the last week. He lay back down, interlocking his hands behind his head again and resumed his mood.

"I just want to see how you were." Ashe said, closing the door and stepping fully into the room. "You were so withdrawn on the flight here, and then you retreated to this room as soon as you were able." She sat down on the bed surprisingly close to his head. All Balthier had to do was glance to his right to be rewarded with a glimpse of the Princess's shapely bare leg and her wonderful pink skirt. 'When this is all over there needs to be a monument dedicated to that tiny scrap of material.' He told himself with a smirk.

Ashe was still talking. "I was worried." That drew his attention away from the skirt. She was worried about him? "Worried that you might be angry with me."

Balthier looked up at her face, straight into those beautiful, sorrow-filled, grey-blue eyes of hers and blinked incredulously.

"Princess, why in Ivalice would you think I could be angry at you?" He asked.

"You left Archades. Discarded your past and it's associations. You avoided the city for six years and then I force you to return."

"You didn't force me, I offered."

"But in support of my cause. And there was no compensation to be had, no gain for yourself to make it your worth." She was working herself into a fluster. It was really quite adorable.

"And then, of course, there was..." She stopped herself before saying his name but Balthier knew her next words. Doctor Cid. He vowed right there, he would not let that man haunt this strong, incredible young woman as he had haunted his son all these years.

"Princess," He began, sitting up onto his hands and finding himself close to her. "Ashe, I promise you, of any ill feelings that I have right now, not a single one of them is directed towards you."

He was rarely so genuine, Ashe was left with no doubt. She sighed, relieved.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I just… I don't like seeing you like this." Balthier flopped back down, dejected.

"Well, if it helps, I don't like feeling like this. It's very unbecoming for a Leading Man to have such angst. I think I'm turning into you!" That comment earned him a playful hit on his stomach.

Ashe lent back on her hands and was deep in thought for a moment.

"I have a suggestion." She spoke eventually. "A possible way to make you feel better."

Now that was a sentence to catch his attention. A wicked smile instantly found his lips and his eyebrow quirked upwards.

"Oh, and what did Her Highness have in mind?" He asked, suggestively.

"I propose we play a game." Ashe replied, looking brighter than she did a few moments ago. His eyebrows went higher. "It's designed to help us get to know each other a little better." Higher. "To learn things about each other that we may not discover any other way."

"Princess, you're going to need to start explaining yourself, I don't think my eyebrows can get any higher up my head!"

That made Ashe laugh. "Just move over and pass me those pillows, will you."

He did as she asked and she stretched her legs out on the bed, placing one pillow against the post she was leaning against for comfort and the other across her lap. Balthier mirrored her position against the headboard on the other side so they were diagonally opposite one another. He sat patiently, waiting for instructions.

"The name of the game is First and Favourites." Explained Ashe. "It's a very simple game really, that friends play just learn the silly little about each other that friends should know. We each ask each other questions about our firsts and our favourite things. Silly things but important for friends to know about each other. Things like favourite colour, first memory, first kiss, favourite story. Silly things really." She finished shyly.

"But important." Balthier finished, grinning at her. This game had the potential to become very interesting indeed. Ashe really was adorable when she was relaxed and smiled in that way, and he couldn't help but be amused at her over emphasis of the word 'friends'. So that really was what they had become? They'd come a long way from the Garamsythe Waterways.

"I'll start." She said blushing ever so slightly under Balthier's gaze. "Simple one first. Favourite colour?" Balthier though about it for a moment.

"It has to be gold." He said with a roguish smile. Ashe shook her head with her own smile. She was not surprised. "You?"

"Green." She said. "It such a refreshing colour and so full of life." She explained. "It just cheers me up. Your turn, Pirate."

"Alright. First memory?" He loved the way she chewed on her bottom lip as she remembered.

"I was four. I fell out of a tree and broke my ankle. My mother had to give me so much ice cream to stop me from crying. To this day I can't eat berry ripple ice cream without getting a twinge in my left foot." Ashe reminisced fondly. Balthier laughed out loud.

"What were you doing up a tree?" He asked.

"I was four, it's what you do when you're child. Even Princesses." She added at his jesting look. "What? You never climbed a tree when you were young?"

"Never fell out of one." He countered. She scowled at him but couldn't keep it up for long before a smile crept back on her face. She waited for him to volunteer his memory.

"Mine's just an image really." He said. "I can picture a mobile above my bed when I was a toddler."

"Let me guess? Airships?" He gave her a proper smile.

"What can I say, Princess. I fell in love at an early age and some loves just never die." He playfully kicked her leg. "Your go."

Ashe nudged him back. "Very well." She thought. "Favourite subject at school."

"Science." He answered immediately. "Yours?"

"History." He laughed. "Those two were a bit obvious really weren't they?" She nodded and he contemplated his next question.

Balthier was amazed at how much lighter he was feeling compared to only a few moments ago. The Princess, as well, looked so carefree in contrast to the normal stance she had to take. 'This is how she should be all the time.' He thought and suddenly realized how unfair her situation was. Yes, she sought the throne, it was her duty and her honour, but it was stopping this lovely, cheerful, young woman sat opposite him from being exactly that.

Ashe was looking at him openly, waiting for his next question. 'Time to have some fun.' He thought and the smirk appeared as his eyes narrowed in mischief.

"First kiss?" He asked innocently. Ashe's eyebrow quirked. "You okayed it in your first explanation." Balthier justified. "Is it boring?" He teased. "I'm guessing your betrothed."

His couldn't believe his luck when Ashe looked away, guilty. "Princess!" He exclaimed, eyes and grin wide.

"I didn't meet Rasler until I was fourteen and we didn't kiss until I was near sixteen." She admitted. "My first crush and first kiss was a boy called Jonas. He was a Page in the service of a visiting dignitary. He was fourteen, I had just turned thirteen." Ashe had turned a brilliant shade of red. Balthier felt like he had just won a prize.

"You little hussy!" He teased. "Scandal in the house of B'Nargin!"

"That doesn't leave this room!" She demanded. He crossed his heart and she relaxed. "Your turn, then." She huffed.

It suddenly felt rather intimate sharing this information. Not even Fran knew of his first kiss. She had simply never asked.

"I was fourteen." He began. "I'd had a crush on this girl in my class at school for months. My friends would harangue me about her mercilessly. About how I would just stare at her. She had a long sheet of blonde hair that would just dance around when she laughed. Anyway, one day, being the little saint as I'm sure you can imagine I was, I got put into detention after school. I can't remember what for but I'm sure whatever it was I was falsely accused." That invited a snort of laughter from Ashe. He mock glared at her before continuing.

"It turned out, Calla, that was her name, had also found herself in detention. We spent the whole time passing silly notes to each when our supervisor wasn't looking. It turned out she had actually gotten detention on purpose in an attempt to spend time with me. When we were free to go, I walked her home and I kissed her." He smiled fondly. "She was my first girlfriend."

Ashe watched him. "Did you love her?" She asked. Balthier shook his head.

"No." He admitted shyly. "No, Ashe, I've never been in love. Unless you include The Strahl, that is."

At his admission he felt a heat creep into his face he was unfamiliar with. He frowned in confusion and a smirk played at the Princess's at her lips.

"Why, Balthier, I do believe you are blushing!" She dared to laugh. "Now that is definitely not the behaviour of a 'Leading Man'."

That jerked him away from his memories. He was not going to mocked by some vagrant princess who went around kissing page boys! He kicked her again and she countered. He did it again, slightly harder. Ashe looked scandalised but ready for the challenge and responded in kind. Never the first to back down, Balthier kicked her a third time and was rewarded with a pillow in the face.

Ashe laughed at the shocked look on Balthier's face but then immediately realised the trouble she was in as he reached for his own pillow.

"Now, Balthier…" She started but was cut off as Balthier's pillow collided with her side in defiance.

War had been declared.

The ensuing pillow fight was ridiculous. Each hit eliciting screams of laughter from the pair as they chased each other over the bed and around the room like children. Ashe was merciless in her assault but Balthier had reach and so gave as good as he got. After a time they squared off against one another, daring the other to break first. Ashe's hair was all over the place as she sought breath.

"Is that all you've got, Bunansa?" She shot at him. Balthier grinned at her, evilly, and was about to respond when the door between the opened and Vaan entered the room.

"Hey guys, we're having dinner in a second if you're hungry. What are you up to in here anyhow?"

Oh, Vaan. Sharing the same thought with a look between them, Ashe and Balthier leapt upon their unsuspecting new target. After several hits, Vaan managed to make it back out the door with a parting cry of "You guys need to grow up!" Coming from Vaan, that said it all.

Balthier collapsed on the floor against the closed door, Ashe sliding down beside him as they tried to catch their breath. "I'll have to remember that tactic on Vaan again if it gets rid of him that quickly." He said through short laughs.

"Absolutely." Was all Ashe could muster. Balthier just shook his head in amusement at their antics but then all humour dropped out of his face as the Princess leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She said.

He turned to her, startled. "What was that for?" Ashe didn't seem to notice his surprise.

"It was just… I honestly can't remember that last time I'd laughed like that. That I did anything so silly simply for the sake of having fun. Thank you." She repeated, looking straight into his eyes. Balthier swallowed.

"To hear your laugh, Princess, anytime." He stated, earning a shy smile. "And thank you." He leant over and placed his own kiss on her cheek, pulling back slowly and capturing her own eyes. "For getting me out of my melancholy."

Ashe became flustered at the increasing intimacy between them and stood up quickly, Balthier following her lead. "Yes, well," she stammered, "what are friends for." And she hastily left the room.

"Friends." Balthier echoed. The word suddenly didn't seem as comical as it did before. He took a deep breath, ran his hand over his face and sighed before realising something amusing.

"Ashe." He called after her. "Is it really necessary that to take my pillow to dinner with you?"

The Princess seemed to have realise her theft and was heading back to return it, embarrassed.

"Well, you never know." She said trying to cover herself. "There might have been fiends on the stairs."

Balthier couldn't help but laugh out loud at her way of thinking and all previous awkwardness gone, they walked down to dinner together.

As friends.