Flawed but Perfect
By Pinoko K

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XII, all its characters and locations, as well as Balthier's first dialogue in this chapter belong to Square Enix. I'm spending time on this without getting paid, so don't sue.

A/N: Spoiler up to Phon Coast. The next three chapters might be a bit more serious than usual. But it can't be help. The plot must go on.

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Chapter Four – Sunset by the Beach

The salty smelling breeze gently blowing on her face was unmistakably from the sea. Fading sunlight shone through the small opening at the end of their path, acting as a beacon of light to guide the group to their next destination: Phon Coast.

Princess Ashelia remained close to Basch's side as they stopped briefly at the entrance to Phon Coast, using his proximity to provide her a much needed sense of security. The mere thought of stepping on the Empire's land was enough to cause her heart to beat wildly in her chest, Ashe felt as though she would likely to spontaneously explode into million pieces by the sheer pounding of her heart. The Lady Ashe was certainly no coward, but going straight into the lion's den was more than daunting, even for the warrior princess.

The lady looked around subtly, trying to locate her constant source of irritation: the irritatingly witty sky pirate. She'd feel better with him by her side, she realized, much to her own annoyance. Not that she admitted she'd feel saferby his side; never would she admit to such! It was only because that the princess had convinced herself that a jab or two from Balthier right about now might distract her enough to forget her mounting anxiety. Yes, that was it, her instinct to look for Balthier was merely for distraction, nothing more.

And she found him, strolling by his partner's side, looking as nonchalant as usual. The entire Ivalice could have fallen, and the sky pirate could very well be unruffled, so long as he had his sky, his Strahl, and his treasures. The princess envied his carefree attitude.

Balthier caught up with the group and passed right by the lady without sparing one glance at her, his eyes focusing on the sky above. His expression was neutral, Ashe could only guess what the man was thinking. To her, he might forever stay a mystery; a mystery that both intrigued and annoyed the royal princess.

"It would seem we made the right choice." Balthier commented casually as he nodded up at the sky as an indication. "If we'd taken the easy way and come by an airship, one of those patrols would not doubt have been quick to roll out the red carpet. We're on the Empire's doorstep now, so we shouldn't have to worry quite so much. But that's no excuse to get sloppy. It is still a long road to the capital."

The sky pirate took the lead without another word, with the youngest two members followed close at his heels animatedly. The way he led the group without much of glancing around for landmark or looking for proper direction only showed that he had been in Archadia before. Ashe began to wonder where else in Ivalice he had been to, and, of course the question that had been on her mind ever since she'd met him: where he had come from…

The lady followed the group out on the coast, but chose to slow her pace to enjoy the sea breeze. Growing up in the desert country of Dalmasca, the Lady Ashe had hardly been allowed to leave the royal palace, let alone venturing out on the wild Dalmascan deserts to both the east and the west. The salty smell of sea breeze was quite foreign to her, but surprisingly pleasant nonetheless. The princess found it rather ironic that she was secretly enjoying her walk in the Empire's land. But then again, the sand underneath her shoes did not look a bit different than the sand in Dalmascan desert. Maybe, just like the sand, Archadians weren't that much different than Dalmascans after all…

Ashe noticed Basch had slowed down with her, although keeping a polite distance in front, allowing the princess her private space. She greatly appreciated his comforting presence; both his thoughtfulness and protectiveness were unsurpassed, his loyalty forever unwavering. To think she had doubted him when they'd first reunited, and that she'd even slapped the poor man out of blind rage! A rush of guilt started to drown her as the memory of their reunion assaulted her conscience mercilessly. Shame weighed heavily in her heart and it manifested on her face as pinkish tint flushed her cheeks. The princess already had too much on her plate to add more guilt to it. With a nod of resolution, the Lady Ashe quickened her pace and matched up to her knight. Her long-overdue formal apology awaited.

Basch glanced at the princess and nodded once politely to acknowledge her presence before turning his attention back to the surrounding, diligently surveying for lurking monsters. The princess smiled endearingly at his vigilance and took the chance to study the profile of the former captain. Even with the long scar spanning from his eyebrow to the tip of his ear, Basch was undeniably handsome. His features were as strong as the man himself, the fire of passion for righteousness forever burned in his eyes. And when he smiled - a pity he rarely did - his face warmed up to reveal the genuine kind soul hidden inside the battered man.

The Lady Ashe remembered seeing the blond man around her lord father since she'd been but a little girl. Being the only commoner among all the captains, Basch had been the only one who had ever risen in ranks without the help of family-ties, earning both love and respect not only from the people of Dalmasca, but also from the royal family. The same respect she'd had for him for more than a decade had once lost two years ago, then later found, and now increased ten-fold.

"Basch?" Ashe had to start, realizing the knight would not speak first unless he was addressed.

"Yes, Majesty?" Basch answered promptly.

"I…" She trailed off with a sigh. A proper apology required full attention. The lady paused on her path, and Basch dutifully stopped along with her, his attention fully on the princess. Humbly, Ashe placed one hand over her heart with her head slightly bowed, and continued. "I must apologize for my action on Leviathan."

The blond man looked genuinely surprised for a second, then opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by the princess' sincere glance.

"Please, Basch, let me finish. I must apologize. What I did was brash, it was only out of pure anger. Please understand, the betrayal was too much for me to bear, especially when it was from you…" Ashe couldn't bring herself to look up to him, feeling quite ashamed of her misjudgment. She should've known Basch would never betray her lord father. She should've known...

"Your Highness…" The knight's usual stoic features softened considerably.

"Lord Father trusted you most among all the captains, so did we all, the whole Dalmasca. And to think you were the one… I…" She shook her head, couldn't bring herself to continue. Her pale blue eyes remained stubbornly on the sand between them, her fine eyebrows knitted together.

"I understand." Basch nodded and placed a firm hand gently on her shoulder. His touch was warm and very comforting. Ashe to looked up to the man and only saw understanding in his eyes. She was relieved.

"So please, Basch, accept my most sincere apology." Once again, she bowed her head humbly. For all the terrible tortures and accusations Basch had to face, a simple bow from his princess was all she could offer to the poor man.

"Accepted." The knight confirmed with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, leaving no space for doubt in her mind.

One of many weights on her shoulders had been lifted, the sky above seemed a bit brighter than it had been a moment ago. Ashe glanced up to her knight and offered him her rare warm smile. The road to Archades seemed less daunting with Basch by her side.

"Majesty, my loyalty to you is never to be doubted," Basch paused and gave her a thoughtful look. "But what of Balthier?"

Balthier? The princess unconsciously took in a sharp breath at that name. "What of him?" She replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Your Majesty has grown close to him," Basch pointed out without any judgment on his face or his voice. "Is he to be fully trusted?"

That ever perceptive Basch! Ashe tried hard to will the growing hotness on her cheeks to fade away, but failed miserably. "He forever seeks profits. So long as we pay, he has no reason to turn against us." She reasoned calmly and confidently. Basch's doubt was valid, so why did she bother to defend the sky pirate? She knew not.

A hint of doubt tinted Basch's stoic face. "Already he has acquired Lord Rasler's ring. Yet, greed knows no boundary. And if he were to ask for another payment?"

Payment? Her heart skipped a beat. What more could he have asked from a vagrant princess? Ashe was almost too afraid to know what Basch had in mind. Almost. "Such as?"

"The Dawn Shard."

Ridiculous! The princess gasped at that suggestion. "But why would he want that?"

"I know not." Basch shook his head. "He knows much about nethicite. Too much, even for a worldly pirate. Let's not forget, Your Highness, he did break into the royal palace for the Dusk Shard."

Again, there was no hint of judgment on the man's face. All he had stated were cold hard facts, Ashe realized painfully. Yet, the idea of Balthier lusting after the nethicite all this time was… unsettling. The princess quenched the growing sourness and unexplainable disappointment brewing in her stomach. "Basch, I--"

"Enjoying a lovely sunset by the beach, aren't we?" A familiar drawl from far drew both of their attentions to the approaching sky pirate. His keen eyes quickly scanned over the knight first, then the princess. Basch's face stayed neutral at both his words and scrutiny, seemingly unaffected by Balthier's jab. Ashe, however, found the hidden implication behind the sky pirate's words more irritable than usual.

"We were discussing some serious matters." The princess claimed seriously and squared her shoulders, standing straight and proud.

"And when are you two not?" The sky pirate countered with ease, a teasing smile etched on his face.

"Something the matter, Balthier?" Basch decided to speak up before Ashe could return her fire.

Balthier merely shrugged his shoulders and casually placed his hands on his hips. "As much as I'd enjoy a midnight stroll along the beach with the princess, it's time to set camp."

The annoying shade of pink once again crept up on Ashe's face, and she mentally scolded herself for being easily affected by empty words. His empty words. The ever-so tactful Basch conveniently overlooked her rosy cheeks, as he merely nodded at the other man and exchanged a look with the princess.

"Go. Help them." Ashe dismissed her knight with a nod and kept her eyes on his retreating for a moment longer.

And that had left her alone with the sky pirate. She could feel his gaze on her was more intense than usual, as if he was trying look right into her soul, seeking something in there. Ashe carefully avoided his eyes, Basch's words still weighed heavily on her mind. What if he were really after the nethicite? Did he not know what the stone meant to her and her country?

No, he wasn't after the stone, the princess determined stubbornly. The sky pirate had plenty of chances to steal it and run away with the prize. Yet the stone remained. And him, always by her side… Ashe knew she could never solve the mystery that called Balthier, but somehow, somewhere along their journey, she had put her trust in him, and she knew she had to trust her instinct. Satisfied with her conclusion, the princess casually stole a glance from the sky pirate, who was still studying her with great interest. Feeling rather uneasy under his scrutiny, the princess chose to ignore him and moved to follow her knight, only to be stopped by a warm hand on her forearm.

"Your heart is lighter." Balthier concluded his scrutiny in a low voice, a hint of gentleness was peeking through his tone.

Ashe shot her head up and stared straight at him with widened eyes, she couldn't quite mask her surprise at his keen observation. Just how well could this man read her?

He held her eyes with his own and chuckled at her expression. "Try to lighten it some more, would you? Melancholy doesn't suit you well."

"Then what does?" Words flew out of her mouth as curiosity had taken over her.

"Your smile." He replied in almost a purr and a cat grin of his own. His eyes were almost hypnotic; Ashe couldn't stop herself from staring at him. "I like your smile, too bad it's elusive."

Whether it was an honest confession or a mere flattery, his words unexplainably warmed her heart. A warm smile curled up on her lips as she shook her head lightly, trying to find the right words to downplay his unexpected compliment.

"Right, just like that…" He encouraged in a whisper.

The sky had begun to darken, further contrasting the twinkles in his eyes. Hidden underneath the twinkles was a certain emotion, one she had seen earlier that day for a brief second, and one she still couldn't quite place. The gentle sea breeze brought forth the scent of his, luring her to lean closer to the man…

Then…

"Eeew! Vaan! That's disgusting!" Penelo could be heard yelling at her best friend from the background. Her high pitched squeal traveled far and broke the spell. The Lady Ashe quickly dropped her gaze down to study the front of his vest.

"I don't know about you, Princess…" The sky pirate started in his normal casual tone as he turned and started to walk back to the group. He kept his pace slow, waiting for the princess to follow. "But I could use a goodnight sleep."

And so, once more, his normal savvy attitude was back on, effectively concealing whatever emotions going through his head. Ashe felt a ping of regret in her stomach. She wanted to see more of the real him, the one she had seen for a fleeting moment. But the princess knew too well, now was not the right time. They both had their roles to play…

"Perhaps you have yet to get used to adventuring." She retorted without missing a beat, with the same line he had used on her earlier that day. She slipped back into the game of banter as they took their time to head back to the group. Truth be told, Ashe felt rather proud of herself to give him a taste of his own medicine. Although, much to her annoyance, the sky pirate only responded with his hearty laughter.

"Ah, my clever Princess, but I wasn't the one who had the luxury to take a nap." Balthier glanced down at her with a tiny smirk on his face. "I can't say I am surprised that you still feel energetic after a long day of travel, after all, you had a very comfortable pillow to lean on."

The princess glared at the sky pirate for his reminder. Balthier was correct. Perfectly correct. Ashe liked him as her pillow a bit too much, and he probably knew it. His shoulder had been more comfortable than anything she'd leaned on for more than two years. And he smelled so damned good! Was she too weak to find comfort in his warmth? She was but a woman…

"Need any more pillow tonight?" The sky pirate asked with a smile in his tone as they approached their camp site. Ashe couldn't bring herself to look straight at him, but she just knew his smirk was plastered on his face.

"No, thank you. I'll share my tent with Penelo." Ashe announced and glanced at the group around the campfire. Penelo was busy cooking for the group, yet the sweet girl managed to shoot a smile at the princess at the mention of her own name.

The sky pirate popped down next to his partner with a casual shrug. "A pity. The girl would rather share a tent with Vaan."

"What?!" The blonde girl gasped in shock and dropped the stick she was using to barbeque. Hastily, she picked up the stick to rescue the meat from the fire and blew smoke off the grilled meat. Her cheeks were burning red, and not by the heat of the fire.

"What?" Vaan asked with a mouth-full and looked around the group in a questioning gaze. Apparently he had been too preoccupied with the piece of grilled meat in his hand to notice any previous exchange.

The Lady Ashe let out a sigh at the ever oblivious Vaan. As the princess of Dalmasca, Ash felt the need to protect and guide both war orphans, almost as though it was her sacred duty. Although Penelo had never said it, it was more than obvious her feeling for the other teen was blooming. Perhaps Ashe should let the girl have her chance…

"Very well, I'll share the tent with Basch." The princess announced her next logical choice.

And that had brought an unexpected reaction from the sky pirate. His eyebrows shot up, then quickly brought down in a slight scowl. His lips parted as if to speak, then hastily pressed together in a harsh frown. But as soon as his partner shot him a curious look, Balthier's expression quickly returned to neutral once more.

"I shall take the first watch, Majesty." The knight sitting by her side suggested.

Ashe glanced around the quiet coast and considered. "Is that necessary?"

"Better safe than sorry." Basch reasoned with a firm nod.

"Ah, nasty wolves, big flying birds – something like that?" Balthier drawled as he leaned forth, resting his elbows on his knees.

The burning campfire highlighted some of his features in bright orange, while hiding the rest in the dark shadow. The mysterious sky pirate appeared to be even more enigmatic. His brilliant eyes shifted quickly between the princess and her knight, picking up every detail on their face, studying every movement of their body. Ashe unconsciously squirmed ever so slightly under his intense scrutiny, but she bravely met his eyes when they landed on hers and held them, daring him to further scrutinize her under her watch. And, all of a sudden, there it was again, a flicker in his eyes, an emotion hidden underneath struggling to surface as his features softened. Ashe had to fight an unexplainable urge to reach out over the campfire to touch his face.

"And I'll cover the second watch." Fran volunteered. However quiet her voice was, it still managed to startle the princess. The ever-so observant Viera glanced curiously at Balthier, who merely returned her look with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Fine, then. I'll take the last watch. Couldn't have the princess up to protect us all, now, could we?" The sky pirate spoke as though he was only addressing to his partner. Though his words, heavily dipped in sarcasm, were certainly loud enough to travel to Ashe's ears. Balthier let out a dramatic sigh and leaned back to stretch his arms.

Once more, the chance for her to glimpse at his real emotions was gone too soon; he was back to the suave sky pirate who cared about nothing but treasures. And the Lady Ashe was left feeling cold with goose bumps on her skins despite the warmth of the camp fire.

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A/N: The answer to last time's question: Balthier was unconsciously thinking about himself when he imagined what Rasler looked like. Yup, himself. A big hint at his brewing feeling even if it didn't spell out directly.

Originally posted on 01/22/07

Last Edit: 03/09/07