Author's notes: this chapter has the romance kicked up a notch, and i hope i've pulled it off anyways, read and review!!
Campfire
It was a cloudless night. The air was crisp and cold, despite the searing heat of the day. The two chocobo-mounted merchants had departed for the night, but Ashe's motley crew were gathered about a small campfire, feasting on a few skewered Dalbania fish.
As the fish are not hostile unless provoked, Penelo protested much at their slaughter by Vossler and Basch. The blonde knight was very kind to the girl, explaining that they needed to preserve their food supplies by eating what they could find. Vossler on the other hand had said that Penelo would eat what she was given, and if she didn't like it, she shouldn't be given any food. Ashe had sighed. Sometimes she wondered what she saw in him. He could be moodier than a teenage girl sometimes.
That very day, for example, he had been fairly friendly towards Vaan and Penelo, allowing them to play with his immense greatsword, much to the joy of Vaan. Vossler even went so far as to offer to show Vaan how to use it. Then, only two hours later, he told the pair off for being so immature, and complained that they should never have been allowed to accompany the party. Now though, he seemed to be acting civil once more.
Ashe stared up at the extraordinary tomb which they had set up camp beside. It was quite intimidating. She dragged her gaze from the tomb, and reluctantly ate the bony fish.
"I'm so sleepy," Penelo yawned, stretching her arms out.
"Me too," agreed Vaan, "I'm gonna hit the hay."
Penelo got up, and the two of them drew a huge blanket towards the edge of the tomb.
"Night," grinned Balthier. "Don't let the scorpions bite."
"Scorpions?" Penelo asked, her voice betraying her nerves.
"Ignore him," Fran advised, "there are no scorpions."
Penelo sighed with relief, wrapping herself into the blanket with Vaan and curling up in the sand. Balthier raised an eyebrow at the Viera, who shook her head, but gave an amused smile nonetheless.
Ashe couldn't help but feel a little more relaxed. She was beginning not to mind Balthier's company. He attitude did much to relieve her of her troublesome thoughts. Not that she was going to tell Vossler that she approved of having the sky pirate with them. It would make him worry too much.
"Now that the children are asleep," Balthier ventured after a little while "perhaps we can address the most important issue."
"Which is?" Ashe asked.
"Once you obtain the Dawn Shard, what will be your next course of action? Inform Vayne that you are rightfully the Queen, and if he doesn't like it, he can buzz off?"
"What is it to you, what we do after this?" She questioned. "You are only here for the treasure, are you not?"
"My Lady," he smiled, "I'm the leading man. It wouldn't do for the leading man not to know the outcome of the story, would it?"
Vossler made an irritated noise which suggested he didn't agree with Balthier's claim to be the leading man. The sky pirate smirked, but said no more on the matter.
"Well, I must get my beauty sleep." He smiled, unravelling two small thin blankets, and handing one to Fran. "Lady Ashe, do you have need of a blanket?"
"I-" Ashe sighed. In her eagerness to get the Dawn Shard, she had forgotten to pack the essentials, such as a blanket, food and other such supplies.
"Here," Balthier grinned, handing her his own, "you may borrow mine."
"Thank you," she replied gratefully. If she had never met Balthier and Fran, she would still have a very poor opinion of sky pirates.
"We can share," Fran told Balthier, shaking her mane of snowy hair. She glanced down at a quietly placid Basch, "will you be resting also?"
"Oh..." he began in mild surprise, "I was going to keep watch."
"I'll do that first." Vossler offered.
Basch nodded his thanks before joining Balthier and Fran near where Vaan and Penelo slept peacefully. Ashe wrapped the soft blanket about her shoulders, cocooning herself in it.
"Do you not have a blanket?" She asked Vossler.
"I have no need of one, Majesty, my armour and this fire will be enough."
Ashe shook her head at the knight. He could not fool her, she had seem him shiver only a few minutes ago. She shuffled closer to him, though she could do little in the way of keeping him warm, as Balthier's blanket was only really big enough for one person.
"Sometimes I think that I should have brought a suit of armour," she confessed, rubbing a cut that she had suffered to her bare leg.
"I imagine it would be more practical than-"
"Do not mention the skirt," Ashe warned him. He sighed, but did not press the matter. She could tell there was something weighing heavily in his mind. He wasn't nearly as unreadable as he thought. Not that he would share his fears or insecurities, something which Ashe quite admired, as she strived to be more stoic herself.
Ashe tried to stay awake and alert, but it was in vain, as she soon slid into a fitful sleep, images swirling threateningly in her mind...
She awoke with a start, to find that she was covered in sweat, and was shaking. Vossler was still awake, his iron-clad arm wrapped round her protectively.
"Nightmare?" He asked
She nodded shakily, wiping her face with Balthier's now sodden blanket.
"I look such a state." She groaned, furious with herself for being seen so weak and fragile. "I don't even seem like a true Queen, quaking here, covered in sweat like a frightened child!"
Ashe brushed hair from her burning face, which was flushed pink because of that recurring nightmare about Rasler's death. Two years later, and she still suffered from it.
"You do not look like a frightened child," Vossler assured her, "there are not many who could suffer such hardships with as much grace and determination as you, Majesty."
"Vossler..." she whispered. He had never given complements to her before and had never spoken to her with such tenderness. She tossed the damp blanket beside her, turning to him and noticing for what seemed to be the first time, his rugged features, his alluring hazel eyes, which held much more warmth than she had ever seen before. Or maybe she just hadn't bothered to look.
Ashe had no idea, even then, that he had felt so strongly about her every day, since he had rescued her in Rabanastre, that Minta had caught him gazing at Ashe whilst she practised her swordplay in the courtyard, wishing that he was more than just her protector, her friend.
Vossler turned to her, surprised by the mesmerised expression on her face. How beautiful she was, even those little imperfections that no one mentioned to her, he loved even them. All of her, all that she was.
She leaned towards him, laying a hand on his rough face. He breathed sharply, his heart hammering nervously against his chest. She could feel it, and it comforted her to think that he was nervous too.
Ashe's lips brushed against Vossler's, his panicked breath hot against her face. She sank into his embrace, and the knight held her protectively in his arms, caressing her hair, which was soft and warm from the heat of the fire.
His breath caught in his throat. He had longed for this for such a long time...was it even real? Or was it just a dream, something that could never be tangible?
Then, came his answer.
Ashe tilted his face down to meet hers, and kissed him, softly, like a whisper. It was the culmination of his hopes for the past year, to kiss her, to taste the sweetness of her lips, to smell the luscious fragrance of her hair. She melted into the kiss, her worries slipping away as she became absorbed in this one moment.
It was so gentle, so tender, unlike what she had expected. She had expected burning passion, and she could feel it rising within her, rejoicing at the chance to love once more. She felt so elated to be loved, to be desired, to know that it wasn't the end when she lost him...
Rasler...
Ashe jerked backwards, frozen with shock. Vossler recoiled as though she had just slapped him. He moved away. Ashe cringed. The image was burned into her mind, of Rasler, his touch, his voice, his love, all buried with him in that coffin. It made her feel so dirty, to be kissing Vossler, as though she were being unfaithful to Rasler.
No! She told herself sternly. Rasler is dead, this isn't betrayal, it isn't wrong to want to move on.
She gazed sadly at Vossler, who was staring at the fire with a pained expression on his face, as though he had just suffered a mortal blow.
"I'm so sorry," she sighed. "I can't...I can't stop thinking about Rasler, I feel like I'm betraying him."
"I understand." Vossler replied in a hollow voice. He didn't look at her, but continued to stare into the fire, unblinking. After all he had done for her, all he had sacrificed, he wasn't good enough. He couldn't be Rasler, so he couldn't be with her. He disgusted her, that much was clear to him. He would never be more that a protector, or a friend.
"Vossler..." Ashe bit her lip, "it's not your fault. I want to move on, to do this, but I can't..."
"I understand." He repeated. "We continue as though nothing happened."
Ashe stared at him. Was that really what he wanted? To pretend that they hadn't kissed? To pretend that they hadn't both just felt a warmth, a desire that they both longed for?
She glanced over to the sleeping figures, as Basch began to stir. He got to his feet, stretching and walking over to them, oblivious to the tension that hung in the air.
"I will keep watch now," he said, "perhaps you should both get some rest."
Ashe got to her feet abruptly, wrapping the blanket about her like a cape.
"Good night." She said politely, inclining her head towards Basch. She turned back to Vossler, a fierce expression on her face, but her voice cool. "You may wish to forget what displeases you, but I do not. I refuse. One day, I will amend past mistakes, beginning with those made today. Mistakes will be replaced with the actions intended. What say you?"
He paused, looking up at her. The firelight flickered hauntingly upon his pained face.
"As you wish, Majesty. I am just a soldier, after all, a servant. I do as you command."
Ashe's jaw tightened, and she turned on heel,marching to a far corner of the courtyard to try and sleep without the vision of Rasler to haunt every thought.