Still depressed over here, but FF12 is keeping me content. I've also decided to cosplay as Larsa. Woot.
Over the next few weeks, Willow had seen little of Larsa or Basch. Sadly, Larsa was usually kept from having meals with her and was forced to eat alone while semi-dealing with politics. Today, however, was different. As Larsa had promised, Willow was able to practice her magic with him and Basch as their trainer.
It was two against one: Willow and Larsa on one team, and Basch on his own.
"Now, Willow!" Larsa called. A beam of light shot from a simple staff Willow was holding and fire swarmed Larsa's sword.
"No good," said Basch. "That will never do." The Judge took his shield and blocked Larsa's attack. Basch was impressed with the young Lord's strength. He had certainly improved.
Larsa was pushed back by the shield but quickly regained his ground. The three of them had been going at it for an hour and his shirt and hair were all but soaked in sweat.
Willow, on the other hand, hadn't moved around as much, but her nerves caused her to sweat all the same. While Larsa dealt the heavy blows, it was Willow who granted him the extra power with the help of her magic. Her skills were improving bit by bit and it was noticeable. "Look out!" Willow cried. Basch had taken it upon himself to slowly plant a trap in different areas of the training ground.
Larsa had mistakenly stepped into one of them, stopping him. "Damn,"
"Better luck next time," Basch said, ready to finish the young Emperor with the final blow to end their training.
"I don't think so!" Willow ran out in front of Larsa to protect him and sent a wave of wind at Basch. The Judge went flying and skid across the floor. "Not today!" Willow said proudly.
Basch was taken aback by Willow's sudden act of bravery but that didn't stop him from hurtling that surprise back at her. With a snap of his fingers, the wind magic Willow used was reflected back on to her and she was sent flying back, hitting Larsa in the process. The two were now a tangled mess on the floor. Basch walked over and gazed down at them, a small smile resting on his face. "You two are getting better. However, your communication skills need some work. Better luck next time." He sheathed his sword and excited the training grounds.
Larsa would have been lying to himself if he didn't like Willow being on top of him. The fact of the matter was that he perhaps enjoyed it a little too much. Her tight pants and shirt that were equipped for fighting and moving around was a welcoming sight.
"Ah!" Willow noticed their awkward position and quickly removed herself. She stood up, lending her hand to Larsa.
"You did well today." He told her while sheathing his sword.
Willow slipped a rogue hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Lord Larsa. So did you." She gave him a short bow.
Larsa's tired expression softened as he heard her calling him 'Lord Larsa' again. He wasn't going to stop her and tell her to just call him by his name. In time, she would be comfortable enough. "You are getting better. The next time you see Fran and Balthier, perhaps you can have a duel with them."
Willow gave a short laugh. "That would be an interesting duel, wouldn't it?"
"I'd help, of course." Larsa offered, placing his hand on his chest.
Bringing up Fran and Balthier reminded Willow of Vaan and Penelo, and she asked. "If you don't mind me asking, Lord Larsa, but have you had the chance to send word to Vaan and Penelo?"
Larsa had been so busy that he nearly forgot to tell her. "Forgive me. I did send a letter to them saying you were here. They have not responded yet, however."
Willow waved a dismissive hand. "No need to apologize. I'm waiting anxiously to hear back from them."
"As am I." Larsa smiled.
Later that day as the two went their separate ways, Larsa was sitting alone in his room. He had just finished washing himself off. He sat hunched over at his writing desk where countless letters lay before him. All were marriage proposals. Time was ticking; a choice would have to be made.
Suddenly, a knock came to his door.
"Yes?" Larsa called out.
"It's I, Your Majesty, Judge Gabranth. May I come in?"
Larsa stood. "Yes, you may."
As Basch entered the room he made sure to close the door securely behind him. "Are you alright? You seem distracted as of late."
Distracted was right. In fact, that was an understatement. Larsa felt stressed, trapped almost. "My mind has been elsewhere, yes." He paused. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" He forced a smile.
"Is it Willow?" Basch asked.
"Part of it."
Basch glanced at the papers on his desk. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but may I speak freely?"
Larsa nodded once. "You may."
"Why not talk to Willow about becoming your Empress? She seems to have taken a liking to you."
Larsa sighed. "I wish it were that simple." He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. "What you say makes sense, but I do and Willow complies, the truth will be out. Soon, everyone will know. And do you know what will happen after?" He waited for Basch to say something but he did not, so he continued. "Valan Linshk will catch wind of it and raise an army against Ivalice."
"Then let it be done if that is to be the case."
"I do not wish for war!"
Basch almost forgot his place and was close to saying something he shouldn't. "Sooner or later you will have to make a choice. Choose one of the noble women of Ivalice, or win Willow's heart and make her your Empress. You said it yourself: with Archadia joining with Zartoska, we would be a mighty Empire!"
"...I cannot force my burdens on Willow. It's not fair to her."
Basch gave in to defeat. His own heart was heavy for his young friend. "May I give you some advice, whether it be good or bad, it is up to you." Larsa nodded, giving Basch the okay. "If, for whatever reason, Willow does not become your Empress and you choose another, why not take Willow as your mistress instead?"
Larsa was shocked. He did not expect to hear that come out of Basch's mouth. For the first time, Larsa wasn't sure what to say back. To love Willow beyond the vows of marriage; to secretly spend his nights in her bed while his would-be Empress lies in wait for him. If he did that though, it would be Willow who'd suffer the most. She would forever be known as the Emperor's mistress, or to others, they would call her a whore.
Finally, Larsa answered Basch. "She is a human, not an animal. I will not keep her here for my own selfish reasons."
Basch bowed his head. "As you see fit, Your Majesty." He opened the door and excused himself.
Larsa knew the right thing to do, but did he have the courage to come out and face it?
That evening, As Willow readied herself for bed, she sat in a chair big enough for two people near the fireplace and brushed out her long hair. Her silky white nightgown was soft against her skin and was plenty warm enough. The curtains were closed for her own privacy, and busy life outside the palace walls had gone to sleep.
As she set the brush off to the side she stared into the fire, thinking about her family. Larsa was right: they would not want her to feel bad for surviving; for feeling safe and comfortable.
At that moment, Willow's thoughts were interrupted as a knock sounded on a wall somewhere inside her room. She looked about, trying to spot the location, and then a secret door hidden in the wall opened up.
"May I come in?" It was Larsa.
Willow stood fast, both suddenly nervous and excited. "Y-yes, you may."
Larsa poked his head around the corner before entering the room completely. "I hope I did not startle you too much."
"Not at all." She was only half lying. "You know, we have secret doors like that in both our Summer and Winter Palace."
"Do you now?" Larsa closed the door. "I hope you do not mind that I chose to come to visit you tonight in this way. I would have knocked on your front door, but I didn't want anyone getting ideas."
"Ideas," Willow asked.
Larsa walked up to Willow and took a mental picture of her in her nightgown. He wasn't sure if she was aware that her nightgown was partially see-through. It was a struggle for him to keep his eyes on her face. "Willow, I came here tonight to talk to you about something very important. It involves our relationship."
Willow was going to offer him a place to sit down, but she was too tense now and remained standing. "Our...relationship?"
Larsa dived right into the point of it all. "You are a Princess, and I hold the title of an Emperor. If we joined our Empires we could do so many great things. Since I turned fourteen I have been bullied and almost tricked into marrying women of all ages. But now that I have found you, I feel like it was meant to be. What I am trying to say is: if you fancy me in the slightest, is there any chance that you could one day be my Empress, and rule over Archadia and Zartoska as well?"
Willow was flattered. Her heart skipped a beat and for a second she smiled. But then that smile faded and she looked to her feet. "I cannot..." She said weakly.
Larsa placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Why?"
The strength in Willow's legs gave out and she plopped down in her chair. "Because I am a princess no longer."
Larsa knelt down in front of her. "What do you mean?"
She didn't want to say. It was one of the reasons why she had suffered for much. "My father abdicated when I was sixteen. He gave up his throne, including his title. We were stripped of everything." The tears were working their way up and she feared she wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer. "So you see, Lord Larsa, I am no princess. I have been for the last few years now. I cannot marry you. I'm sorry." She started to quietly sob now. "He did it to keep his family safe. He thought that maybe if he was no longer in power that Valan would leave us alone, but it only fueled his anger toward us more." Horrible flashbacks made their way back. "They found us and held us captive. There was room, a dark, cold room. And smoke, so much smoke from the guns they fired at us. I can still hear my sisters screaming."
"Stop, Willow!" Larsa called out to her. He made some room for himself and held her in his arms. "It's passed. That moment is gone. You're no longer there." He pressed her closer into his chest. "You're here with me now." He waited for Willow's crying to soften before speaking again. "Listen, I don't care if your father gave up his throne. You are still a princess, and I am sure the refugees would agree with me."
Willow looked up at him, her stained with tears, a glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes. "You don't?"
Larsa took care to dry Willow's face with his sleeve. "No one has to know." He told her. "And I must apologize. I didn't mean to make you cry."
"It's not your fault." She yawned suddenly and Larsa scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to bed. "You don't have to do this." Willow blushed.
"But I want to." He placed her carefully on the bed and then sat on the side. "You don't have to give me an answer tonight. Take a few days to think about my proposal."
"I have thought about it."
Larsa was pleasantly surprised. "You have? And?"
"But before I give you my answer, can I ask you one question?"
"Yes, of course, you can."
Willow hesitated, but she managed to say it: "Do you want to marry me out of love, or for other reasons?"
Larsa said not a word. Instead, he bent down and softly kissed Willow's lips and let them linger there for a long while. Finally, he broke it off, but he was still mere inches from her face. "Does that answer your question?"
Willow's face a soft shade of pink. Her lips were tingling and her whole body felt like she had been wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket. "Larsa..."
"I do love you, Willow. I have loved you. That's one of the reasons I sought you out. I need you here by my side. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I know that I do."
Willow smiled. "Yes, I understand. And I will marry you, but," she said, "only when my sister is free from Valan. I want her with me when we join our hands."
"Then it will be done," Larsa promised her, kissing her again. He wanted desperately to feel more of her touch and fought to restrain himself. At that very moment, he wanted nothing more than to have Willow. He forced his greedy hands back and sat up. If their little moment had gone on any longer, Larsa was certain he would have lost himself. He was getting to that point where his pants were beginning to be a bit too tight. "I'm afraid I must leave you now. I have an important matter to attend to in the early hours of the morning. May I come to see you again tomorrow night?"
Willow nodded. "Yes."
Before leaving, Larsa gave Willow a kiss goodnight on her forehead. He left through the secret door wishing he could have stayed longer. A lot of hearts were about to be broken, as Larsa would soon be denying each and every one of those proposal letters. There was no longer any reason to think about taking Willow as his mistress because she would soon become his Empress, his wife, and his lover.
I am thinking about making another LarsaXoc story after this story. This one will be about a girl from our world who travels to the world of FF12 and becomes a Priestess. Not sure what time it will take place, but Larsa will be a teenager. The basis of the story will be an evil being/monster who has awakened, and this only happens when the girl travels to Ivalice. In doing so she awakens the ancient evil. She herself is granted Holy Power when she becomes Priestess and has the ability to walk through people's dreams (Just like Gran Kiltias Anastasis). The main place she will reside will be at Mt. Bur-Omisace. The only way to rid the Priestess of her Power is if she loses her virginity. She must remain innocent and pure. That is also why I have decided the Priestess will wear a veil to cover her face so no one but her right hand "Keepers" know what she looks like. I am also having it be that way so that if any man who meets her will not-or would not-be tempted to take advantage of her because they might think she's pretty...or something like that. I will be delving deep into the lore of FF12 for this one.
A review is food for the writer's soul.
