The salty wind tugs at my hair and nips at my face, a crisp, cool embrace that envelops me in the scent of the sea. The sun is steadily reaching its peak in the sky, gently kissing my skin with its warm, golden glow. Behind me, Reddas sings out the same jolly tune he's belted all morning; even Vaan and Basch seem to be humming along at this point, tapping their toes to the invisible rhythm that dances through the lively afternoon air. Fran's ears are flat to her hair, tired of blowing about. Penelo stands at the viera's side, redoing her shining blonde pigtails and lacing tawny feathers into the ends. Ashe disappeared below deck hours ago and Balthier leans against the edge of the ship's deck, watching with bored intrigue as Reddas's powerful arms guide the vessel one way or another. The open sea is a wonder, but it's no match for the freedom of the sky.
"How much longer, do you think?" Vaan asks, sitting on the wooden deck at Basch's feet and peeling his steel vest off.
"Several hours yet," Reddas replies with a hearty laugh. "Had you refused my help, you'd be walking for days, my boy."
"Yeah," Penelo laughs sheepishly, tying the end of her pigtail with a small rubber band. "Thank you for the ride, Reddas."
"It's no problem at all, really," the pirate replies, flashing a bright white grin. "I owe a bit to Her Majesty."
"Hell yeah you do," I tease, turning back to raise an eyebrow at him. "Tell me, Reddas: who are you, really?"
"I was once a man dishonorable and driven by greed," he replies, keeping his expression steady. "Who I am now... Why, I'm a pirate!" He laughs, long and loud. "I've the glittering of the sea and the gracious beauty of princesses to keep me company now."
"What else could a man need?" Balthier mutters, crossing his arms and turning his gaze out toward the endless sea, a nook of salt water trapped between the inlands of Balfonheim and the shores along the very edge of the Golmore Jungle. "Of course, I do prefer the clouds over the water, but a boat ride is a nice change of pace."
"Ah, see? Once you get a taste of the current, you don't ever feel fulfilled," Reddas chuckles.
"I don't think fulfillment is something I'd prefer to lack," I retort, though I'm smiling as I turn back toward the waters we glide over. "Where are you leaving us off, anyway?"
"An inlet along the edge of the Golmore Jungle. That should be a good place to start your journey to the Feywood." Reddas's platinum eyebrows grow heavy on his dark eyes. "Though, I would make haste once on land. I don't know how patient Doctor Cid will be."
"It all depends on his plans," Balthier sighs, straightening and leaning his elbows back against the edge of the ship. "He was patient enough for Venat; I doubt he'll have trouble waiting for Ashe."
"Why does he want her to follow him there, anyway?" I frown, glancing at him over my shoulder. "It doesn't seem as though his plans involve his own son in any way."
"Likely something to do with that cursed spirit that looms over his shoulder day in and day out," Balthier spits bitterly, turning his sharp eyes away from me and onto the deck. "Ashe is not as weary of the Stones' power as she should be. If she's not careful she could wind up just—"
"Like your father," I finish, sighing. "And I suppose no one would want that, hm?"
"It could stop Vayne, though, right?" Vaan asks, leaning forward. "If she used the power?"
"Power does wonders to one's mind," I huff, hopping up onto the lipped edge behind me. "One moment, Vayne was a caring, story-reading friend, and the next, he was murdering his own brothers to make way for his walk to the throne." I shake my head. "It all starts with an innocent taste, and it doesn't matter who you are and how strong your resolve is. Power always wins."
"Not always," Basch cuts in. "If you desired power, you wouldn't be here."
"I suppose that's true," I admit, laughing to myself. "Though, what power would I possess? I could never take on Vayne all on my own, and I doubt winning Dalmasca back for Ashe will give me much in return. I'm here because I'm in far too deep to remove myself from the picture."
"So, you're here until the bitter end is what I'm hearing," Balthier clarifies. I nod.
"Seems so."
"Looks like you're stuck with her," Vaan teases, wiggling his eyebrows at the sky pirate. Balthier rolls his eyes and nods toward his viera partner.
"The only person I'm stuck with is her."
"Why is that such a bad thing?" Fran asks, arching an eyebrow. "Do you tire of me?"
"Never, Dearest," Balthier replies, his lips curling into a boyish smile. "I was only remembering how long we've been together."
"Far too long," Fran mutters, eliciting a giggle from Penelo and another eye-roll from her partner. "You are as Shae calls you: an incompetent buffoon."
"Strong words for a kind-hearted woman such as yourself," Balthier counters sarcastically, straightening to look up over the second level of the ship. "I'm off to explore the rest of this raft."
"And there he goes, escaping his accusations yet again," Reddas jokes. Balthier shoots a sour look over his shoulder before climbing the stairs and disappearing onto the towering roof of the captain's quarters.
"Have you seen Ashe today?" I ask Basch, turning to face the knight. He shakes his head, his blonde hair brushing over his broad shoulders.
"Not since dawn. I thought it best to give her some privacy."
"She is always with you, isn't she?" Penelo asks.
"Must be suffocating," Vaan scoffs. "I can't even stand Pen all day, but a bodyguard? No thanks."
"The life of royalty is far different from a street rat's," I assure the boy, brushing my hair out of my face and stretching my arms over my head. Just as Basch starts to speak, a clatter erupts from the top deck. I roll my eyes, walking toward the stairs. "I'll go keep an eye on the idiot above."
"Don't do too much smoochy-smoochy!" Vaan calls. Penelo laughs and Fran shakes her head, her speckled ears twitching as she suppresses a smile. Huffing irritably, I head up the staircase to see Balthier stacking a set of mops back up against the rail.
"What are we up to?" I ask casually, strolling up to the sky pirate and crossing my arms. "It's unlike you to be clumsy."
"I was thinking," Balthier huffs, picking up the last mop and thrusting it toward me. "Mind swabbing the deck, or whatever it is these uncultured sea-swine say?"
"I'm a princess, mind you," I retort, raising an eyebrow. "I don't do that sort of thing. I leave that to low-life men such as yourself."
"Yes, but you offer to bury yourself up to your elbows in grease and mechanics," the pirate scoffs, setting the mop with the others and turning out to the ocean. I lean my shoulder against the wooden wall, crossing my ankles and shaking my hair out of my eyes.
"What were you so deeply pondering that you couldn't see a dozen musty mops?"
"I suppose most of what's transpired in the last few days," Balthier admits, his eyes practically glowing green in the sunlight. "Jonan, Venat, Cid, Reddas... It's all quite the adventure, isn't it? Not what you were expecting to find, I'm sure."
"Definitely not," I scoff, shaking my head. "I never thought I'd think much about..." I sigh, taking a deep breath. Impatient, Balthier finishes my sentence for me.
"Adamar? You preferred that he died and that be that, didn't you?" I nod and he chuckles, sparing me a glance. "If only it worked like that. We might be far different people today, hm?"
"Perhaps." I cock my head to the side, meeting Balthier's inquisitive gaze head-on. "Do you ever... think about what will happen if we do win this? If Ashe takes back her kingdom and Vayne is defeated... If Larsa takes over Archadia... What then?"
"Then we go back to before," Balthier shrugs, tearing his eyes away to stare at the glittering blue waves. "Fran and I take to the skies and you repair your ship, with Jonan's assistance perhaps. Vaan and Penelo find a way to chase their pirating dreams and Basch guards Ashe like a lost pup." His narrow on the water. "I suppose we'll all get together occasionally, for old time's sake. People can't do without each other for long after such a trip as this." He pauses, brows twitching closer together. "Perhaps you and I will cross each other in the sky every now and then."
"Every now and then," I repeat. I meant to say the words merely to see how they tasted, but I suppose they were bitter enough to change my tone, and the irritation catches Balthier's ear all too easily.
"What did you expect? We've our own lives to attend to, don't we?" He sighs, shaking his head and turning his eyes over to mine. "That, of course, does not mean we'll become instant enemies, Shae. You know that." A slight smile flickers onto his face, bringing the youth back to his face. "You don't have to fear being friendly when we cross."
"Of course not," I scoff, rolling my eyes and pushing my weight off the wall. What else did I expect? It's all they ever want. My feet immediately move to carry me away from the tension, my back swiftly turning to the conflicted sky pirate. He takes a deep breath, sensing that he's said something wrong.
"Where are you going now?"
"Away," I reply sharply, glancing over my shoulder but not quite meeting his demanding stare. "I'm off to speak to people whose lives truly matter in the long run. You know, my friends, if I dare call them that." I shrug. "This isn't worth the investment if you only want an occasional friend to warm your sheets. I already have Jonan for that, and he most certainly doesn't take it for granted."
"Fates above, women truly are melodramatic creatures," Balthier grumbles, stepping toward me and taking hold of my shoulders, forcing me to look up at him. "What do you expect me to do, then, Shera? Create a party of three? Give Fran the boot? It can't work like that, and don't you dare use innocent words against me. I was only joking; of course, I'll come around as often as I feel like it."
"Of course," I force a smile onto my face, rolling my eyes. Liar. "Forgive me; I suppose I merely misunderstood your words."
"Surprising for you," he scoffs, raising an eyebrow and loosening his grip on my arms. They always say they'll come back. "You've always understood everything perfectly."
"Shut it," I laugh, shoving his hands away. But... "You're one to talk."
"I am? The leading man doesn't suffer from bouts of confusion, Shae. You should know this by now."
"Hm? It seems you're a bit lost already," I murmur, tracing the back of a finger along the edge of his jaw. "There's a dilemma in that little brain of yours," I add, tapping the side of his temple. In the end...
"You think you read me so well," he mutters, rolling his eyes, though he doesn't resist when I stand on my toes and press my lips to his, effectively shutting off his string of excuses.
They never return.
"How much farther do you think we have now?" Vaan asks, the voice of a whining child slipping through his words.
"An hour or so, my boy," Reddas answers, leaning against the edge of his ship's broad wheel with a pleasantly contented look on his face. "Watching the sun go down doesn't make it fall any faster."
"What now?" Vaan frowns, raising an eyebrow.
"Counting the minutes doesn't make the hour pass quicker," I sigh, twisting the rings around my fingers absently. Beldroth, Dern, a thief, Jonan... I huff, jerking my touch away from the jewelry and facing the sea. The cabin door slams shut and I hear footsteps pacing toward where most of us stand. Fran climbed up onto the mast to watch the world pass in peace and Penelo laid down hours ago due to a bout of seasickness that arose when Vaan began pushing her around on deck as the ocean rocked us back and forth.
"Oh, that makes more sense, I guess," Vaan huffs, slouching against the wall.
"Majesty," Basch greets. I turn to see him striding toward Ashe and draping a thin blanket over her shoulders. "The air grows cool as night falls."
"I might have retrieved my own source of warmth had I felt the cold, Basch," Ashe admonishes gently, allowing a small smile and pulling the fabric tighter around her. "But I thank you for your consideration."
"Tis but my job," Basch replies, a smile glittering in his eyes before his gaze flickers up toward Balthier. The sky pirate looks as though he's mulling over something, pacing and turning a tiny trinket I can't distinguish over and over in his hands. Finally, he gulps a deep breath and turns on his heels abruptly, starting toward Ashe at such a sudden pace that she steps back instinctively.
"Give me your hand," Balthier demands. Ashe frowns, but complies after a moment anyway. I fight a grin; he really has wormed his way into her stubborn little heart. The pirate takes hold of her pale hand, tracing his thumb over her slender fingers before flipping her palm up and pressing the small object he toyed with into her hand. He forces her into making a fist around the piece and offers a weak, forced smile. "Your compensation, Majesty. I found the valuable something I was searching for." I turn back to facing the ocean, my breath caught, my heart hammering, my face reddening. A valuable something? Compensation? Oh. I forgot Rabanastre, all that time ago...
"Compensation, is that what you want?" Ashe demands. Balthier smiles, his voice morphing into a dangerous purr.
"Straight to point, aren't we?" He lowers his chin to see the nearing princess better. "I like that." He cocks his head to the side, motioning toward Ashe's hand. "Compensation? How about the ring." Something flashes in the royalty's eyes.
"This?! Isn't there something else?"
Balthier shakes his head, shrugging and holding out a hand.
"No one's forcing you."
Sighing, Ashe reluctantly pulls the glittering silver ring from her finger and watches it glint in the room's dim light. The room falls to a deathly silence as she drops the metal band into the sky pirate's waiting palm. Balthier looks from the ring to the princess's face and closes his hand around the jewelry.
"I'll give it back to you—as soon as I find something more valuable."
I take a deep breath and shake my head. He can't mean... He wouldn't. Balthier's not that sort of man. I jump when I feel a hand resting at the small of my back, turning to see the sky pirate eyeing me, humored. Huffing, I turn back out to the rippling waves of fiery reds and brilliant yellows.
"Deep in thought, were we?"
"Not too deep," I shrug. Forcing a laugh, I shake my head and nudge him with my shoulder. "So, Leading Man, what treasure have you found that warranted the return of Her Majesty's wedding ring?"
"I assumed it was due time I returned it," he chuckles, pulling his hand away to lean his elbows against the wooden railing along the deck. "I've plenty of valuables to cover the costs of the silly little band."
"Silly?"
"I suppose I never understood the use of rings to represent any sort of commitment," he shrugs, eyes locked on the rolling, white-capped waves. "They never meant anything to me but money."
"Perhaps that's because you wear them as often as a bangaa pierces his snout," I retort, rolling my eyes. "Do those mean nothing to you, then?"
"They mean wealth. Do yours mean anything different?" Balthier counters, raising an eyebrow. I roll my eyes, holding out my hands.
"Of course—at least most of them do." I point to the two stacked on my right ring finger. "These are from Beldroth, my brother, and the other is a gift from Larsa."
"Also, your brother."
"Yes, thank you for the reminder," I mutter, pointing at the gold band around my left pinky, ring finger, and index finger. "This was a gift from Dern—for my eighteenth birthday—, this a trinket from a thief I monitored, and this a reminder of Jonan."
"You hardly need a reminder for the brat," Balthier murmurs, glancing over at me. "You're certain you keeping that? It might be easier that way."
"Jonan's a disgusting ass, but he has his moments. What, are you planning to hand this over to your master as well?"
Balthier chuckles, straightening. I follow, raising an eyebrow smugly as he gazes over at Ashe. Shaking his head, Balthier rests a hand on my shoulder and pinches my chin between his fingers.
"Careful, Highness; I wouldn't want my return of that silver to be a waste. You were my inspiration after all." Easily having rendered me speechless, the pirate ducks down and captures my lips, pulling away all too soon and turning back to Reddas with a stupid grin on his face. "Captain, how long until we arrive?"