As the sun rises higher in the sky, Balthier sighs contentedly and lightly kisses Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca's forehead as she lies almost motionless next to him in the bed with her eyes closed in an attempted sleep,

'Ashe,' he whispers softly, 'you have to get up now…' she moans and coils herself up tightly in the sheets,

'I'm tired,' she whimpers through the covers,

'Well I'm not surprised,' he chuckles, 'you've been a very busy princess,' she moans again and tucks her head further into the linen depths, 'we have to save the world, remember?' he teases, tickling her through the sheets as there comes a sharp knock at the door,

'Don't let them in,' she mumbles from her cocoon, but he doesn't hear her,

'Come in Fran,' he calls out casually, 'I've got nothing to hide…its hiding itself for me,' Ashe hears the weapon-like shoes making contact with the floor as she shifts tighter into a bundle on the bed,

'Subtle,' Fran comments sarcastically, 'not least because of the nightdress on the floor…. Good-morning Your Highness.' Fran was in fact aware of what had been going on in this room from the moment she woke up, her ears were not that dull yet and it was more than obvious, so she decided to pay a visit for naivety's sake,

'Good-morning Fran,' she whines as her head starts spinning from the lack of oxygen under the sheets,

'I took the courtesy of brining her belongings along,' a pack hits the floor with a dull thud,

I really do far to much for him…

She laments,

Just once I'd like to see him get out of a difficult situation all by himself.

After Fran finally leaves (not before having an avid conversation with her partner about her night's sleep, the weather, the flying conditions, what time everyone else got up, what's for breakfast etc…) Ashe starts to unwind herself from the enveloping blankets, sleepily crawling onto the floor and beginning to slowlydress herself, so slowly that Balthier laughs to see the poor tired girl struggle to get her top and various straps over her head,

'Oh honestly!' he exclaims merrily, dragging himself from the warm haven of the bed and lifting her limp arms above her head as he dresses her like a toddler, 'you spent all night in bed, you can't really be that tired…'

'Balthier, did you happen to notice how much of that time I actually spent sleeping?' she asks satirically as his hands inadvertently run across her chest I the process of dressing her,

'Hmm, fair deuce,' he surmises, gently kissing her neck just above the clasp of the necklace that still hangs around it,

'I should have known better than to climb over that balcony…' she mutters to herself as her eyelids begin to droop again,

'Now don't say that,' he says, unfastening the necklace and pooling it in her palm as he attaches her neck brace, 'you wouldn't have this lovely trinket to show this morning if you'd stayed in your room,'

'But I'd be free of all these aches you've caused me,' she retorts, rubbing her legs methodically as she stands, 'I assume you will follow me down separately so as not to raise any unnecessary suspicion?'

'And why would I do that?' he sighs, 'this is the end of our journey, Ashe, I do not intend to spend it pussyfooting around behind you; let the others assume what they may and allow me to escort you downstairs if you would be so kind as to wait a short time while I ready myself,' her judgment tells her to go and salvage her reputation while her heart pushes her to stay, she favors the heart and her sense of humor when he appears comically helpless on the matter of fastening his vest, she roughly tugs the buckles together across his back with a smirk,

Never the most practical of dressers…

'After…all of this,' she off-handedly mentions as he exhales, allowing her to yank the vest closer together, 'both you and Fran will be welcome in the palace…'

'Oh,' he says craftily

'That is as guests not thieves' she hastily adds, picturing the empty treasure room post-Balthier,

'Then you will need to find another lure for me, princess' he catches her hands and winds them around his stomach, squeezing them tightly she lets her head rest against his back and her eyelids flutter closed 'fine…' he mutters affectionately, 'you may have it your way, Ashe' he whispers as he turns her into his arms, then moves her to the bed and quietly leaves the room so as not to wake his sleeping princess.

'Hey, Balthier' Vaan says as he finally shows his face downstairs, 'have you seen Ashe?' Balthier could make remarks about just how much he's seen of her recently, but manages to hold his tongue,

'Her Highness is sleeping.' He states unassumingly, 'and I think that if she is to be of any use to us in battle we ought to let her slumber some more, '

'What a pity it is then, that the Bahamut will not wait,' she calls out irritably from behind him as she rejoins the group outside, 'lovely sentiment, Balthier, but careless considering the severity of the situation,' he opens his mouth to react to her criticism but Vaan interrupts him,

'Great lets go.' He comments a little over assumingly, but it is overlooked as they make haste to the aerodrome.

Much to the pilot's amusement Ashe falls asleep in her chair during the takeoff, and sleeps for a few blissful hours as they plot a course for Rabanastre before awakening in the middle of a battlefield with a violent shock,

'Is that the Bahamut?' she gasps as the dark tornado creeps closer to Rabanastre,

'Yup,' Vaan says from the next seal along, then hands her Balthier's novel microphone, 'tell your uncle you are here, Ashe, he must be worried about you,' Vaan's serious tone frightens her slightly, it is almost like he is readying himself to take control should Balthier disappear….

And we all know what happens next don't we :(

Still hate the ending of this game...