Queenly Matters – Chapter 9

Vaan and Penelo walked back to Migelo's Sundries after they retrieved all they believed they needed. But Migelo wasn't having any of it.

For one he delayed even speaking to them upon their arrival for at least half an hour.

"Hey, Migelo!" Vaan barked at the shopkeeper. But still, he persisted to ignore them both. But it couldn't last for ever. Once the shop closed for the night Penelo and Vaan commandeered Migelo's room.

"What are you kids up to? I wanna sleep." Migelo said wearily.

"And I wasn't that mark." Vaan stated simply. "I have been wearing this armour all day now and it itches like hell so give me that slip of paper and we will be on a merry way."

"It is too late for children to be traversing the Giza Plaines. Maybe tomorrow."

"Yeah, alright." Penelo piped up, "But the slip, if you please." Both Vaan and Penelo lifted their hands in a gift accepting manner.

"Look here see, I am your protector and what protector would allow you to fight a dragon!" Migelo exclaimed. "Now go to sleep."

"Migelo…" Vaan said, "I know you're trying to protect us, but we're not children anymore we're…" Vaan suddenly remember something. A compressed memory if he could call it that. Something he had wanted to do since he began and now he remembers, "…We're sky pirates."

"What?" Penelo showed he surprise and confusion, "You haven't talked about being a sky pirate in ages."

"Yeah, but this is what they do. Go do mark missions for gil." Vaan turned to Migelo, "We are 100% ready for this mission. Look at this armour – its heavy armour, nothings getting through this. And these swords, light and manoeuvrable but still packs a punch. I can fight graciously with this."

Migelo just grunted, "And what if you're wounded?"

"That's why we got these." Penelo swung the bag filled to the brim with potion vials and phoenix downs and antidotes. "No-one's dying while I have these." She gloated.

Migelo sighed and rubbed his temples. "Alright, alright." He muttered as he left the storefront.

Vaan and Penelo smiled at each other at their success.

"Yes!" Vaan exclaime. "The world going to have one less Wyvern lurking about once we're through with this guy." He said happily.

Penelo giggled as well. "Vaan, you may want to wait until tomorrow because…" Penelo commented on the setting sun in the distance.

"Yeah, that may be best…" Vaan said as he watched the orange rays fade into night. "Oh." He suddenly dipped his head.

"What is it?" Penelo asked.

"Nearly night. Gonna go…meet the queen y'know." Vaan laughed sheepishly as he rubbed his head. "Forgot all about it. Long day."

Penelo didn't say anything at all to Vaan, which already had his blood racing in terror at her rage. But she just stood there – in a daze.

"Well." She finally stated, "Better not keep her waiting." She said gleefully. But Vaan saw through the charade, she was mad and upset about this. She just chose not to show it. She retreated to her room without even saying goodbye and Vaan left out the front door with a heavy heart.

Ashe was just retreating to her room for the night when Basche appeared. Stating that some emergency had ensued and her presence was required to rebuff it.

"Tomorrow." She stated tiredly.

"But, Ashe. The future of Dalmasca hangs in the knowledge that her Queen is fully committed to her recovery."

"I am fully committed, but sleep beckons and I cannot ignore it." Ashe stated sternly as he reached for her door handle. But Basch halted her.

"Please, your majesty, this is an urgent matter." He pleaded.

"Basch…" Ashe started, "Go back to Larsa and I will join you in the morning. Am I to be forced to miss sleep so the kings of Ivalice can play chess with me? I will not have that."

"But-."

"Begone!" She demanded as she entered her room, slamming her door behind her. She was so mad at Basch's intrusion that she didn't notice the solemn Vaan sitting on her bed until he made his presence known.

"Hello…um, Ashe…" Vaan nervously said, not knowing why his Queen was on a strop.

"Vaan!" The words she said accidentally slipped out just a little too loud and she covered her mouth in hopes that any lingering Judges didn't hear her yelp.

"Your already here I see." She whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Vaan whispered back with a smile. "Got you something." He held out to her some dying Galbana Lilies crushed and flattened at being stuffed in his pockets.

"Ok, just keep your voice down." Ashe gave a sideways glance at the door then walked over to the bed where she inspected the flowers with a stern expression. "Must all things I receive from you be dying?" She asked half-jokingly half-serious.

"What? Come on Ashe, I don't have money for living things." Vaan whined in jest, "I mean, be glad I get you flowers and not rabbits and Orotut Yensa." He laughed.

"The Orutut Yensa are a people. Not an animal." She corrected.

"Short enough to be…"

Ashe sighed and accepted the flowers, placing in the same vase where the original plant.

"How rude," She chuckled, "Now I have two flowers. Both given to me nearly dead." Ashe sighed and gave a quick sideways glance at the door again when she heard something rumble beyond.

"Ashe, is something wrong?" Vaan asked concerned.

"Uhh…Yeah." Ashe smiled and joined Vaan on the bed. "How have you been, Vaan?"

"I have been good. You?"

"Tired. Days of a monarch are stressful and having your ministers barge through your doors at ungodly hours." She chuckled.

"I think my day might've been harder." Vaan gloated.

"And why's that?"

"Going on a quest. Needed supplies."

"Quest?" Ashe had a fearful expression on her face, "You mean…your leaving?"

"What? No!" Vaan corrected as he snuggled against Ashe, "My Queen, I would you never leave you." He whispered in her ear, forcing a violent blush from her.

Ashe smiled happily, "Then what is your quest? Nothing…dangerous I hope."

"I have a hunt from Migelo."

"Okay..."

"A wyvern…"

Ashe then wrestled out of Vaan's embrace and then stared at him in disbelief.

"What!" She demanded an answer out of him.

"Well…it-it."

"Find your tongue!"

Vaan winced at her stern voice. "Ashe, please calm yourself."

"I will do no such thing. Now answers." She stared daggers into Vaan until he whimpered out an answer.

"I just…thought it was a good idea…"

Ashe sighed and calmed down when Vaan hung his head away from her. Trapped in his own moping.

"Vaan."

"…"

"Vaan, look at me."

Vaan slowly lifted his head and saw the pleading eyes of his queen. She was worried, worried like a wife would be for her misguided husband.

"Why do this?" She asked plain and simply.

"I…" Vaan pondered the thought he was processing for a moment, "I want to protect people. I want to be an adventurer who isn't afraid of anything."

"Vaan. Even one of the palace guards thought himself tough enough to take on the wyvern and I am completely sure he was a lot more capable of defeating it then you are. It burnt him to a crisps!" Ashe recollected. "And now…and now I hear you…saying you want to take it on. To be some sort of hero." Ashe sighed and slumped against her bed backside.

"Penelo wil be with me too."

"So you both die." Ashe coldly stated.

It was hard for Vaan to hear, but ultimately she was right. As if a small orphan boy could take on a wyvern of this calibre-wait a minute! He had. Many times. The fiends of the Tatichi Uplands cradled beast of this calibre. He had strode into the great Archades Imperial City and spat on their floor. He went around yelling to all he was Captain Basch Fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca! And realising this Vaan smiled immensely as he lifted the chin of her highness.

"What is it?" Ashe asked, seeing the glint in his eyes.

"There are many things that separate me from a common guard." He smiled.

"And what would they be? Besides the obviousness of training, discipline and…care for those you love. Though I suppose that guard cared not as he threw his life away."

"Shh," Vaan quietened Ashe, "The things that separate me and elevate me above his stature is that I have fought equal and greater opposition in my time."

"Hmm?"

"It was only like…what 7 months since we saved Dalmasca from Vayne and his Bahamut!" Vaan mocked. "An impenetrable airship they said. The pride and joy of the Archedia Fleet. Powered by 'the mighty stone of man'."

Ashe giggled slightly as Vaan sprung about as he re-enacted Dr Cid.

"Hehe, we, all of us I mean. Me, you, Penelo, Basch, Fran, Baltheir, everyone. Everyone that joined us on our mission that aided our cause. We were strong, stronger than any pussy wyvern."

"But, what if you die…"

"I am not dying!" Vaan said sternly. "I will not fall after I rose through so much."

"Still an orphan boy though. And how is that dream of your coming."

"It's coming alright." Vaan laughed sheepishly, "I actually well and truly forgot about it. Being with you and all, nothing else seemed real."

Ashe's cheeks grew a slight shade of pink with the compliment. "Such a courter."

"I pride myself on that." Vaan lent in close to Ashe and whispered lovingly into her ears that he would return to her.

"I believe you." She replied as she gently planted a loving kiss on his cheek. "My little pirate."