Chapter Fifty

The still unfinished nethicite was an object with multiple symbolisms and meanings. To Cid, they were a puzzle that he was still trying to piece together, while Venat was probably being reminded of the difference between men and gods.

To Vayne, however, they were the uncompleted tools that would help him to achieve his goals. He was not impatient because having time would help, and there were a lot of other things that he needed to do too.

"Something is not quite right." Cid said as he pushed stacks of paper away to join the numerous documents on the floor.

More then once, Vayne had talked to Cid about the benefit of having an assistant in the lab by reasoning and assuring Cid that he could provide a very trustworthy one. However, the other refused as it was not just the research that he was guarding, but his relationship with Venat.

Even Vayne himself was just a temporary guest, only here due to their grace. As for Venat, she has yet to appear to him again.

"What is wrong with it?" he commented, holding up one of the objects that failed to please its creator. The item was not heavy like a gem, but with a weight more like a crystal. However, they were crystals that could shatter stones. Even this one had certain energy around it. Just by holding onto it, he felt as if there were much more that could be done.

"Nothing is wrong with it. It is just not right." Cid said in frustration. "Despite how careful Venat and I have been working, this is not a replicate, but an imitation. This…this is a bauble, merely to be studied, not to be used."

"A lot of these men will be glad enough of this bauble, Cid." Vayne commented. "It is a strange thing. It wants to be used."

"Because they are tools that should be used, not toys that only a few can play with. However, they are not to be used yet."

"Do you think that I will be so rash and foolish? Do you think I place so little value on my own life?"

"Rash? Foolish? Of course not. But as for the value of your life…" Cid actually took a sea beside Vayne and the young man had to admit that he did not like the way the other looked. It was eyes that saw an unpleasant truth. "You are the one who values it the least."

"Am I not a man scheming for my own rise all the time?"

"Venet can sense people's emotion and she told me that your ambition is very unusual. It is not pure as it is blended with many other feelings." It was at such a time that Vayne would be reminded of the fact that Cid was actually a man much elder then him, and the other also had sons around his age.

It was strange and unusual to be looked at by someone whose gaze contained pity for him.

Like a father whose son was bullied and was punished due to him striking back at his tormentors.

"I think I prefer it when you are staring at the nethicite or talking to the air." Vayne finally said. "Or am I actually a very lousy actor?"

"That is only because I have an unfair advantage due to Venat helping me. I also have the advantage of knowing that you truly care for your brother." Cid said simply. "When you first offered to help me, I thought that it was simply to defy the gods, but I now realised that it is all for your brother."

"You and Messallina both think that I am going to build a kingdom for Larsa and then kill myself the moment I get this done." He said in exasperation. "That is completely wrong. I intend to rule for a while and I will only leave when I finished that. It is also for myself as well. I intend to make my own fate, I will not let anyone else dictate how I live, not even the gods."

"But unlike Lady Messallina and I, you will still see it as a triumph even if you are killed in the process."

"Messallina, yes, but you?" Vayne's voice was filled with real confusion and the elder man could not help but to feel pity towards this young man again.

The mere possibility of someone caring for him was so unusual that he was having a hard time understanding it.

"I am fond of you," Cid said, but this caused Vayne to chuckle mockingly and said: "Fond is a very easy word to use, Cid."

"Perhaps, but I do not use it often." Cid defended himself steadily. "You will be a worthy ruler, Vayne, one who can achieve what Venat and I both want. Yet at the same time, you are one who I wish to be successful."

Because he realised that this young man actually bore a very deep burden. Everyone spoke ill of him so often that he seemed to believe it so himself.

Cid had a goal for himself, but Vayne might not, since it was for someone else. Someone that might not even understand his actions.

How many other could hold this power and still let it go? Not only would Vayne do so, he would not let himself reap the reward. He will be in the field and hear the screams of pain and accusation, yet depart as soon as the stage was silent with the others about to recite praises.

"Foolish boy." Cid found himself saying.

"Boy? You must be the only one I would allow to call me this without receiving any punishment." Vayne said in disbelieve, but there was certainly amusement in that tone. "Cid, those who think of me as 'boy' or 'foolish' has all paid greatly for this mistake."

"The raving of a lunatic and mad man should not be taken seriously." Cid said easily before he sighed. "As for the nethicite, it is not accurate. I believe that a copy of the original is necessary."

"Then I'll make sure that I get you one." was the reply. "Luckily for us, we have a slight advantage over Rozarria."

The funny thing was that Cid knew that Vayne would be able to do this.

When Vayne first came, Cid merely thought that this was a misunderstood young man, then as a possible partner-in-crime. What he discovered of Vayne's real desire then made him realise that he had been very wrong.

"A worthy sword, is he not?" Venat commented once Vayne left. "Yet one that my people would never choose as he would only make his own choice."

"But is he making his choice?" Cid said. "After all, his decisions are not for himself."

"It is his destiny to be a blade, so he will choose who he would strike at. That is a happiness and freedom to him."


Upon entering his room, Vayne found that his chess set and a table had been dragged to the very centre of the room. Two extra chairs were there too, although only one was occupied.

His wife was at one end and she was actually rearranging and examining the moves very thoughtfully.

"Larsa was here." she commented when he sat across her. "He wanted to talk to you, so we were doing this as we waited for you."

His own chess set was a good enough quality one, although it was naturally not comparable to that chess set his mother had. That set still remained in its hidden place in the library, the reminder of a time that was long gone.

As a teenager, there were times when he would study chess, but as time goes by, he was occupied with games that would have severe consequences.

"How did you find my brother's skills?" he began as he set the pieces to the starting point before he rotated the board so that he was using his normal colour.

"Skilled enough. He applies both caution and risk very well." Messallina said. "He is willing to trade pieces with great value if it would have a long term benefit, which he is good at seeing. However, losing a few pieces in a game is not the same as losing real soldiers in battle."

"Yes, he could sacrifice even the queen, yet hesitate in the loss of the lowliest soldier. In fact, he would be most offended at any that argues about them having different values."

"Are you going to fight all of his battles for him then?" she pressed on relentlessly. "He will never grow that way."

"I will teach him." Vayne said firmly. "Larsa will be all that I could never be."

"All that you ought to be." She corrected. "By the way, this was one of his ideas. That I should play chess with you. I was asked about Bhujerba and he was not satisfied with either result."

"What was his opinion on that?"

"He wanted a treaty of peace for everyone. He does not understand why everyone is all so eager to attack."

"He was a point." Vayne pointed out. "If it isn't for the fact that Rozarria might take it, we would not need to be so desperate."

"But what about you? The senate fears that you have your own agenda and you do, do you not?"

"I need Dalmasca and Nabradia." He admitted. "That will be our advantage. Unlike the others, I am extremely concerned with the outcome."

"Because of this treasure that the two kingdoms have?" she said thoughtfully, her finger tapping her queen. "But what if they are treasures that have been exaggerated? What will you do if the queen you are looking for is only a pawn?"

"I know it is there. Therefore, I will get it. As I said, we are lucky." He said as her pawn advanced another step to a possible coronation. "We are at an advantage due to a little mistake by our opponent."

"The Pro-Rozarrian factor? Yes, they certainly stirred quite some trouble. I am sure that you can easily make the chaos worse so that we have a very acceptable reason. However, what then?"

"Multiple problems that I will have to find a way of solving." He said simply, as if they could be done by determination alone. "The nethicite would be the tool that allows this."

"Isn't it dangerous to rely on one thing so?" she began, but then stopped. "No, knowing you, that is probably just one of the things."

"For a moment I was almost disappointed in you." he chuckled. "You out of all people should know that there could always be more then one queen. You will be such a queen…such an empress one day."

"Will I reign for long?" her words were actually very bitter and her eyes were staring hard at him. "I will be a queen in this game because I would be helping you to protect the king. You never once make yourself the king. When the game ends, I will cease being a queen as my only reason for ascending is because you want another shield and sword for the king."

"I never once thought that you are ambitious." He began, but much to his surprise, she actually stood and slapped the table, causing the pieces to tumble.

"I would have you reap what you worked so hard for! You are risking so much, and it is not even for yourself. If you are performing a heroic act of self sacrifice, then I can deal with it, but you are playing the role of a villain without any intention of defending yourself!"

"I am not a hypocrite. I know and acknowledge all that I have done. What has been dirty can never be clean again. In that aspect, both my father and the senators achieved what they sought. It was three, not two, that was destroyed on that night. A man who slew his own family could never be an emperor."

"That is your excuse." She whispered. "The truth is that you would be able to find a way to overcome this. Perhaps people would always fear you, but in time, you would have been able to establish yourself as a good ruler. People are selfish, so they would be satisfied very easily."

"Right now, perhaps, but when I do become the emperor, these hands would be even more stained."

His wife sighed deeply before she crouched down in front of him, her hands resting in his lap and she then leant forward. It seemed that she simply wanted to be near him, to touch him.

Unsure of what to do, he placed a hand over her head rather clumsily. It was not the gentle caress of a loving husband, as he was not that, yet it was a touch of affection.

"Challenging everyone and be emperor, then finishing those who you haven't killed yet. If you are lucky, then you'll come out on top." She muttered. "But you will not be grateful, as you will not accept what you managed to gain despite the odd. You would give it all to Larsa."

"Is it not fitting when he is my strongest motivation? Cid said the same thing." He mused out. "However, you two are both wrong. It is for myself as well."

"Only a minor proportion is for yourself." She muttered darkly. "When that day comes, I hope you will try to plan your aftermath too."

"Why are you so certain that I am going to do something reckless and foolish?"

"Because how else will you give the kingdom to Larsa? You will make it that the people want to have him as the emperor, if not causing him to be the only emperor."

Cid probably had the same conclusion, Vayne thought, and he was surprised that there were those who would feel so indignant over his behalf. This was not something that he asked for, but it was not an unpleasant feeling.

"By the way, this is his favourite piece to play."

At first, he actually suspected that she held the wrong piece. Was it because he was being too theoretical by calculating all the accumulated disadvantages and advantages, or was he being indulgent by seeing his brother as a little boy who liked the knights as he once expressed a desire of doing so very long time ago?

"I always dislike moving my king, as it means that I am in danger. However, your brother was really happy at being able to move his king. When I asked him why, he told me that it is because the king is a really important piece that is protected by all, so he wanted it to help the others too."

"Very noble, but very unrealistic."

"Do not worry, he is an excellent chess player. However," at this, she deliberately dropped the piece. "He would have great difficulty in applying his excellent theory to a real battle. He is too sweet natured and idealistic."

"A benevolent emperor who would love his people and seek to protect them. Yes, my brother would be this."

Such an emperor would be hailed in time of peace, yet Archadia was an empire that faced battle both in and out of its land. In order for the people to benefit from such an emperor, someone had to cleanse the place first. Like any revolution, there would be many innocents who would be hurt due to simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

This was a burden that Vayne decided to shoulder. It was the aftermath that made him able to look at his fate and position in a positive way.


Author's Note: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, because both Cid and Messallina actually showed Vayne that they are both very concerned about him, as well as telling him he is very important to them, and it is not just because he could achieve something that they want, but because they care about him. The idea is that both of them realised that he is doing this for Larsa, and both of them feel a bit upset at the fact that no one would know what he is really trying to do- freeing the humans.

During his conversation with Doctor Cid, Vayna was not very pleased with the word 'fond', and this relate to a previous chapter, when Messallina told him that fond is a very easy word to use, and it might not mean much. Even though we probably usually see Vayne and Cid as being equals, Cid is actually someone who is much older then Vayne, who actually has a children around Vayne's age. After all, Balthier was Cid's third son. Therefore, I think there would actually be times when Cid would see Vayne as much younger, although this would be quite rare.

I read a really good review on Final Fantasy XII, but it is in Chinese. The writer actually felt that Vayne reminded them of the first emperor in the Ming Dynasty: Zhu Yuanzhang (朱元璋), who was said to be a good emperor, yet very famous for being paranoid. In fact, some historians feel that he might have ended up having paranoia at the end. Despite being a capable and good ruler, he ended up killing a lot of his officials, including those that helped him. At one stage, his son asked him why he was doing this. He then got a vine with thrones and told him son to pick it up. Upon refusing this, the emperor then said to his son: 'Since you are afraid of the thorns, I am getting rid of the thorns for you, so why are you complaining about it?" She felt that Vayne was basically doing the same thing. I agree, even though I do not feel that Vayne was as paranoid as the actual emperor, but if it was not for him, I think Larsa's reign would not have been easy at all.