Author's Note: Because I don't know when I'll be online again

Story Rating: T
Chapter Rating: M for multiple drops of the F-Bomb, implied mass murder
Chapter Summary: A queen cannot live happily ever after if she is called false.

Long Live the Queen
Chapter Seven: Unlocking Truths
By: Mazzie May

The flight to Rabanastre was a short trip for two reasons; one, Bhujerba wasn't that far from Rabanastre, especially with a ship as fast as Vaan and Penelo's and two, Ashe wasn't paying attention. Her consciousness was drifting in and out, not due entirely to her fatigue (though that did play a part), but it was being kneaded gently by imagination and daydreams that were more memories than anything else.

Her mother lifting her up towards the sky.

Halim pointing out rainbows.

Rasler announcing shapes in the clouds.

Vossler holding on to her as she leaned over railings atop airship decks.

Her father spinning her around in the air.

Just her and the blue with no limit, that which would continue on forever and ever, far beyond Ivalice and past the ends of the earth. She had once been told that the sky was only as vast as one imagined it to be. Ashe thought it infinite and took comfort in the thought that somewhere, no matter how far away, there was a place the Occuria couldn't touch. A place where all Uncle Ha'li's were alive and well, a place where there were no hurricanes of sand and people full not of despair, but happiness.

It was a silly thought, but it was one she held onto as the Pablo neared the Rabanastre Aerodome, the swirling gold and brown that was just behind the horizon coming into view. The Sand Sea was beautiful, but what was before her was something ugly and it would be upon the city and plains in two days time. Ashe stared at it until the only thing she could see was the metal inside of the aerodome.

As she turned away from the window she found Basch watching her. His expression was sympathetic, but no more than his position could allow. Her smile was of false reassurance and worry crossed his face momentarily. He made movement to speak, but was cut off.

"Okay! We're here!" Vaan swiveled himself around in his chair and hopped out towards them, heading for the door. Penelo followed him and Basch and Ashe unbuckled themselves before doing the same. Vaan waited near the door, staring at a small red light. Ashe stared at it as well.

"It for the docking way," Basch explained, holding his helmet at his side. Ashe tilted her head towards him to show she was listening, still watching the light. "It will turn off once the pathway is fully extended. The one next to it," he pointed just to the left of the red light. "Will turn green, the red switching off, once the pathway is locked onto the dock pads that line the bottom of the door."

"Hey, not bad!" Vaan said with a smile, smacking Basch's arm. "I'm impressed Bas—"

Ashe hissed so as to cut him off, as Basch held up his hand, his expression stern. "You must never refer to me as that in public and around certain parties," he warned. "I am Gabranth, Judge Magister, sworn protector of Arcadia and its ruler. Do you understand?"

Vaan looked very apologetic, mentally berating himself for forgetting and Penelo winced, probably remember how she'd referred to him earlier, back at the manor. Ashe exhaled and pushed her hair back from her face.

"Do you understand, then?" she asked, the sudden alarm she felt still draining away.

Penelo said, "Yes," and Vaan said, "Yeah," both looking slightly ashamed. Basch nodded to them, helmet already on and locked securely in place.

"We could not afford such a scandal as that," he said, his tone forgiving but definitely stressing. "Neither Archadia, nor Dalmasca."

"Especially Dalmasca," Ashe muttered, pushing her hair back again and smoothing her dress. It wouldn't do to have a rumbled queen stepping off an unnamed airship, no matter how nice it looked.

There was a small sound like a switch being thrown, and the red light above the door turned off, the green blinking on next to it. Penelo turned around and brought her hand up, beginning to press buttons that rested on a pad next to the door. As she rapidly typed in whatever pass codes were needed, Vaan rubbed at his nose.

"Do you see the off lights along the top of the number pad?" he asked, pointing. Ashe nodded. "It's a security measure."

"Every current airship is fitted with such a mechanism, are they not?" Basch asked, more as input than anything else.

Vaan nodded. "Yup. If you're ship didn't come with one, they made you get one installed." He blinked suddenly, remembering, "Unless your ship is, like, twenty years old."

Ashe looked at him. "Why twenty?"

"Because ships that are Barton Brand shouldn't be in the air," he said with a laugh and Basch chuckled, Penelo letting out a small giggle. Ashe folded her arms. Apparently, she missed the humor of the sentence. Vaan continued. "There used to only be one airship manufacturer, and that was Barton Brand. Anything older than fifteen years has to be Barton Brand. They went out of business when the mass producers stepped up, so nothing's compatible with anything that old. Which means when something breaks, that's it; no one makes the parts for those kinds of ships anymore." He blew his bangs away from his face. "So, if you've got a working airship that's that old, it's gotta be Barton Brand, and the AA won't make you do something about it." He hooked his thumbs onto his belt and leaned forward, right up to Ashe's face, whispering, "That's the Airways Association."

She smiled dryly, put her hand over his face and pushed him backwards. "I was aware, thank you." He stumbled, trying to catch himself. She shifted her weight. "And why won't the AA interfere?"

Vaan had a hold on his nose, which made him sound funny. "Mo'ly becuz dere's nuh-sing—" He removed his hand and shook his head, placing his hands back on his belt. "—that can be done, but also because if you've got yourself a working Barton Brand, you're a mechanical mastermind, and you can do whatever the hell you damn well want."

Ashe thought on what he'd said for a moment, watching sniff through his nose a few times, deciding to file that information away in a safe place. You never know what you might need to know. "But, about the security pad?"

"Oh, right." Vaan smirked and thumped his head, as if to say 'duh, sorry'. "See, those lights are like the levels to the lock and each time you light one up, you've unlocked one of the levels." He waved her over to Penelo's nimble fingers. "The red light is the basic lock, and that's the one for your ship, so that code never changes. It's the ships registration number.

"Yellow is your own code number. Anyone with a license has their own code." Ashe slowly turned her head at him, looking at him suspiciously. He held up his hands, waving her off. "I know what you're thinking! Yes, even we have licenses. Balfonheim provided them for us, but other cities with 'domes provide them, too. They're legal and everything. Anyway," he gestured back to the lights. "Yellow is your own personal code that comes with your license. It's to prove you're a registered pilot and not just someone who jacked a ship."

Ashe frowned. "If that was the case, wouldn't it display who you are?"

Vaan shook his head with a short laugh. "No, thank God, it just acknowledges whether or not you're in the database. If it displayed personal information, we all would've been caught by now." He faced the keypad again and so did Ashe. "Next is the blue light. The code for that one is the city's. Now, that you have to stay up on, because CWC—City Wide Code—changes once a month.

"After that is the green light and that's the aerodome code. This is the hardest part of the lock to get past when sneaking into a city, because this code changes randomly, forcing you to call in and inform the Control that you're arriving, because you have to ask for that code. There's no way around it. Unless…" he shifted his eyes, looking sly. She waited, though curious. "You've got some good hacking skills."

Basch interrupted this time. "Hacking itself is not difficult, Highness."

Vaan looked back and nodded, an almost thoughtful scowl on his face. "No, no. Hacking isn't that hard at all; anybody could do that. It's hacking and not getting caught that's such a pain in the ass. See, you have to hang in the airspace and listen in on someone else radio call to Control to get the current code. Even if you do that successfully, you have to get in there quickly; aerodome codes can last up to a few days, or only a few minutes. It's seriously tricky and most people try their best to not get themselves into situations that would force them to do it."

A few final taps and a purple light blinked on. Every code in place, Penelo stepped back and Vaan slid what appeared to be a card key down a reader Ashe hadn't noticed before. The door slide open.

"What was the purple light?" she asked Penelo, as Vaan has already stepped out.

"Hmm? Oh!" She smiled, "Today's date," and began moving across the catwalk.

Ashe followed her, surprised. "All of that, followed by the date?"

Penelo turned around and began walking backwards, her hands dragging along on the rib high railings to steady her self as she continued talking. "See, that's the point, though! Remembering all of that hard stuff and getting the aerodome code is really attention demanding. Bad pirates, high stake thieves and ill-legit people in general tend to forget the last code because of that." The belt that was once Vaan's thumped around her legs and the sound echoed. When Ashe didn't say anything, she frowned. "Does that make sense?" She smiled apologetically. "I guess I didn't explain that very well?"

Ashe shook her head, her own small smile on her lips. "No, no. Just taking it all in. I'd never heard of any of this before."

"The real irony," Basch began from behind, Ashe tilting her head back to listen as Penelo looked passed her, still walking backwards. "Is that the man who thought up this elaborate security system is the former head of Barton Brands and was one of its three founders."

Ashe frowned a little in thought. Huh… Seemed a little odd for a man to design something that couldn't be added to one of his own airships. Penelo either read her expression or shared her thoughts.

"Weird, isn't it? When asked about it, all he said was that he loved airships and working on them, even if they weren't his own." She smiled again before facing forward. "Seems like a good guy to me..."

As soon as they were off the pathway, Vaan leaned over a small consol and slid his card through another reader. It made a small beep noise and that pathway began to retract slowly into their side of the open space. It disappeared into the wall with a loud sound. Penelo walked ahead of them.

She spun in a full circle and asked to no one in particular. "Where is everyone?" The docking way was deserted, no one around. Ashe thought it might unnerve the two of them since the last time they here it was probably full of people, movement and noise. To her surprise (mild dismay?), however, they didn't seem much bothered at all. Their lips were drawn in short frowns, but the way their eyes shifted around didn't give Ashe the impression that they were surprised.

"Something up?" Vaan asked her and she blinked, realizing that someone had said something, probably to her, and she'd missed it. She shook her head, the automatic polite smile forming as she tilted her slightly.

"No, I'm sorry?"

Vaan didn't believe her, it was written all over his face, but he didn't ask. Nosey Vaan wasn't so nosey anymore, was he? She fought off the sudden urge to sigh as he jerked his head in Penelo's direction. She was tugging on her gloves and looking at Ashe worriedly, who only continued to smile.

"I was asking if there was a reason we're not leaving?" Ashe furrowed her brow and began to twist the feathers on her gloves. "It's just that, you and… Gabranth, you two haven't even moved yet. I was wondering why."

Ashe nodded to her before turning around to Basch.

"We wait for her Highness' escort, and our masks." Vaan snapped his fingers.

"That's why the place is empty!"

"Right." Basch walked past them. "When the Queen—or any official—is scheduled to arrive, the aerodome is cleared out. It's a safety measure to decrease the chance of hostile individuals getting near her Highness."

"Wait," Vaan interjected. " What do you mean, 'hostile individuals'?"

"Assassins, among others…"

Penelo held her arm from behind her back. "'Others'?"

Basch looked at Ashe and the other two followed suit. Ashe shifted her gaze off to the side, to the floor and then back to them. Shrugging slowly with a pathetic smile, she said, "Not everyone believes I am Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca, you see." She continued to smile, but closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the expressions that accompanied Vaan and Penelo's, "What?"

"Fucking, why not?!" Vaan asked in angry disbelief. His hands were balled into fists and Penelo's had hers clasped over her mouth, eyes wide.

"How can that be…?" was her small question.

Eyes still closed, smile still in place, Ashe tilted her head down, picking at the lace on her gloves again. "Do you remember when we were aboard the Leviathan?" She couldn't see them, but she knew they did. "Basch announced that they only way to prove I was myself was to attain one of the shards awarded to Raithwall's descendants."

"But why?" Vaan asked, pacing, stomping. "Why would you—"

"Because the Princess Ashe was to have taken her own life by way of her departed father's sword," Basch interjected. Vaan stopped pacing and slowly faced Basch, his mouth hanging open.

"Right after our king's murder, the late Marquis had announced her Highness' suicide, thus allowing any country free reign of Dalmascan soil. All thought the princess dead."

Vaan shook his head, pushing his hair from his face. "But…! You were still in Rabanastre! People had to have seen you!"

"Did you see her?" Basch asked gently.

Vaan angrily scoffed to the side, hands on hips, having nothing to say to that. Penelo tried next, stepping up beside him. Her left hand was drawn, resting just below her collarbone, the arm extended out.

"But the resistance members…?

"Did not know I was truly the Lady Ashe. I was Amalia to them and everyone I met in those two years." Ashe opened her eyes, the smile becoming sad. "The only way to keep me out of harm was to ensure that none sought me out. To do that, however, Vossler was forced to convince everyone I was truly dead."

Vaan bit the inside of his cheek, glaring at nothing. "That's why you needed the Dusk Shard."

"Exactly. It was well hidden in the castle. For two whole years the Empire had not discovered it, and then you…"

Vaan closed his eyes, like he was trying to make the memory go away. Penelo shook her head. "So, you mean, no one believes you?"

Ashe sighed. "Some people do. Some people want to believe. A few others like to say, 'I knew it. I knew she was really the Lady'…" She shook her head with another sigh, folding her arms around her self. "There are many more, though, who think I am only Amalia, Ashelia's near twin, who has claimed the throne for myself."

"And without the Dawn, Midlight or Dusk Shards," Basch added. "There's no way to prove otherwise."

"Goddammit…!" Vaan cursed facing away from them. Penelo stared in distress at the bricked floor.

"It's no one's fault but mine," Ashe said, displaced by their reactions. "I was the one who left the shards behind in the Tower. It was I who tried to destroy the Sun Cryst."

Vaan whirled around. "Fucking, I know that! But I encouraged you!"

Basch gestured for him to calm down. "We all did," he admitted gently. "Neither her Highness nor I thought this far ahead." He and Ashe sighed in unison.

"So much talk of the power of Nethicite," Ashe thought out loud, pushing her hair back away from her face with both hands. "And how evil it could make one, the corruption of only its touch, and I…" She laughed out the rest of her thought. "I completely forgot that I needed it to prove who I was."

"No one could vouch for you?" Penelo asked, distraught disbelief consuming her appearance, from her facial expression to her posture. Ashe shook her head a little, hugging herself again. She looked to Basch. "But you—"

"Gabranth had not met her Highness prior to the treaty," he stated softly. Penelo sighed almost painfully and shook her head.

Vaan came back to the conversation, one hand on his hip, the other gesturing with his words. "And there's no one else?" he tried. "No one from the castle?"

Ashe shook her head again, looking pained. "Those who were once employed under my father…" She inhaled deeply, gaining control of her features. "Many of them revolted when Vayne came into possession of the castle." She looked Vaan dead in the eye. "They were executed."

Vaan inhaled sharply and Penelo dropped her arms to her side. "I remember that…" she muttered. Vaan turned to her.

"That's right. Your parents…"

Ashe snapped her eyes to Vaan's right. Penelo… Ashe knew that they were orphans; Vaan's parents were wiped out during the first wave of the plague, it was something they talked about once. But she'd never known about Penelo's. To think, she might have known them. How utterly depressing.

Penelo shrugged. "Is there anyone else from the castle?" She didn't want to talk about it. Fine. Ashe shook her head.

"The only other individual who could speak for me would be my protector."

"So, why not go ask him?" Vaan asked, looking tired and angry, but expectant.

Ashe sighed, tucking some hair behind her ear. "That's not possible, Vaan."

He scoffed. "Why not?"

"Vossler is dead."

Vaan's mouth dropped open and Penelo sucked in air through her teeth. Basch gestured to something behind the two of them, but neither noticed. Ashe's statement had been deadpanned, but there was a sadness in her eyes that would probably never go away. Penelo turned around and Vaan stepped forward, looked like he was going to apologize, when his partner let out a weak shriek of surprise.

Ashe stepped back as a blur of colour came in between them and Vaan cried out as the colour blur wrapped itself around him.

Basch sighed as Ashe covered her mouth hiding her smile. The colourful hair whipped around and long finger hugged Vaan's head into her breasts.

"Mmrf!" was all Vaan could do as Penelo stood off to the side, looking slightly mortified.

"I'm just so excited!" The Viera laughed. She pulled Vaan back and looking him in the eyes. "Remember me?"

"Ktjn, please…" Ashe tried, with an exasperated smile. The Viera only went back to smothering a surprised Vaan.

Author's Note: I know the locking mechanism seems... a bit much. I wrote to proove that Vaan and Penelo aren't just two kids with a ship in this story. They're really sky pirates, they're really serious about what they do and they know what they're doing. Vaan's not the little boy with far away dreams and Penelo's not his personal cheerleader. About Ashe being doubt as queen. I mean, really. Seems a little unlikely that for two years she was dead and then this Amalia chick is like, "You know all those times I said I wasn't Ashe, like, I really wasn't? Actually, yeah, I am Ashelia. I can't proove it, just take my word for it." I don't know about the people of Dalmasca, but I would call bullshit.

R&R please, any and all commentary appreciated.