[A/N: For inutaisho, who wanted this AU's Basch and Noah to meet. Back to Rules now, hopefully!
Feb. 22 - "My heart is hardn'd, I cannot repent"
Kindred Spirits AU
Vayne x Ashe
The Matter of the Ronsenburg Brothers
I The Relevant Forgotten
The coincidence was remarkable, Vayne felt, as he studied the Judge-Magister before his desk, half-listening to Gabranth give his report on the mustering guerilla activities on the eastern border. Identical twins, and each belonging to radically different masters: but identical in face only, Vayne noted. Basch fon Ronsenburg seemed intrinsically good-natured; he smiled easily, and his regard had been fairly easy to earn. The brother who now called himself Gabranth, however, had a reputation even in the formal echelons of the Archadian Court as a cold bastard.
He'd known that one half of Landis' prodigal generals had fled to Dalmasca, of course, even as he had salvaged the other. It had proved to be a good investment, and he did not doubt that Raminas likely felt the same.
"Gabranth," Vayne interrupted postulation on the nature of guerilla motives. "You did not tell me your brother was also your twin."
Gabranth stilled, a sure sign that the Judge did not like the conversation and was about to be evasive. "I did not think it relevant," he said, smoothly and coldly. "Your Majesty."
"I imagine that you were both close, before the war." Vayne probed, finding this line of conversation far more entertaining than the myriad activity of revolutionary insects.
"I have forgotten Landis, sir." Gabranth said, and his eyes were hooded. "And I imagine that my brother has done the same."
"You never did tell me why you left for Archades."
"I told you that Landis had no hope of-"
"And I never did believe you," Vayne interrupted, with a sly smile, baiting his knight, wondering for a moment if Ashelia ever did the same to hers. The Ronsenburgs must be easy targets, even if the one he had was far more prickly a cat's paw than hers. "Trying to get you to agree to certain issues occasionally seems akin to running up against a brick wall. I do not think you would have abandoned your country purely because it had no hope of prevailing."
Leather pulled as Gabranth's fists clenched, then the man seemed to relax himself with some effort. "Landis is now part of Archades, sir."
"And you never did tell me why you assumed a new name, Noah," Vayne continued. "Gabranth was your mother's, was it not?"
"It was. Sir." Gabranth said, his glacial tone bordering on impertinence. "Why is this relevant?"
Evasion came easily to Solidors, and the Ronsenburgs both seemed to lack the mental agility to keep up. So unlike his Queen, Vayne mused: for a girl of seventeen, her mind was already incisive enough to shred any attempt at verbal parrying with disdain. "I have a particularly trying relationship with the Empress as it is. Further complications would not be desirable."
"My brother does not know that I am a Magister. Either that or he does not care, for I have heard no word from him since Landis." Gabranth said then, reluctantly. "There should be no issue."
"And were she to visit Archades with an entourage?"
A humorless smile, and Gabranth's gauntlet tightened briefly on the horned helmet he supported against his hip. "There should be no issue, your Majesty."
This, Vayne felt, with some satisfaction, should be sufficient to occupy Ashelia on his next visit to Dalmasca.
0.1 somewhere along
Ashe prided herself on the fact that bedding her husband never left her any less inclined to make his life easier; and so they tended to spend the one obligatory week per month within which he paid court to her in Rabanastre more or less in dispute. She had much to say to Vayne the next she saw him, about the water tax in Steiinar to his handling of the rebellion at the Erastia border, and it did not occur to Ashe until the day before (and this with some consternation) that she was looking forward to it.
II And this he should have foreseen
Vayne supposed irritably that he should have brought the matter of Gabranth up only after he had first finished reacquainting himself with Ashelia and her bed to his satisfaction. Now he was left to sit on the couch and watch her prowl in a tight circle in her bedchambers, pondering the information and, likely, Vayne thought, internalizing his sigh, working up a temper that was doubtful to end with the both of them in intimate proximity on the sheets.
"And it did not occur to you to mention this to me earlier?" Ashelia began by demanding. He'd foreseen that question, at least.
"It only occurred to me to inquire with Gabranth whether his brother knew about him last week, Ashelia." Endearments only irritated his Empress: sometimes Vayne wondered if this was because they seemed to embarrass her, or because sweet nothings were not quite a wolf's province. "After all, Gabranth certainly knows about Basch."
"Because he is the head of your Bureau of military intelligence," Ashelia said accusingly.
"How was I to know how much information your Generals are privy to?" Vayne countered.
At least Ashelia did not bother denying the fact that Dalmasca employed spies. Every government did, Vayne found: it was part of the entertainment in politics, finding out which spies answered to whom and what to feed them with. "Do you not think you should have brought it up in normal conversation?"
"Your meaning being, amidst being skewered by your latest critique of my internal affairs policy I should mention that I know Basch's identical twin?" Vayne asked dryly. "We do not ever seem to have normal conversations."
Ashelia had the grace to blush, but did not look like she would be backing down: in the interests of addressing the immediate comfort of his body Vayne conceded, "What do you intend?"
"Bring Gabranth with you next month," Ashelia folded her arms under her breasts (was his devious young Empress wearing that filmy material on purpose), her tone brooking no protest.
"Or you could visit Archades with Basch." Vayne pointed out, pulling his eyes upwards with some effort. "Larsa misses you."
"You could have taken him here with you," Ashelia replied tartly, and this even with a brief, mischievous smile. Larsa was ten, and had not yet seemed to grasp the concept of privacy, having not ever had to consider such a matter with his brother before, and in Rabanastre he could go wherever he pleased as an honored guest, even into a royal couple's bedchambers. There had been a few close shaves, the last time.
"Perhaps when he has a few more years under his belt," Vayne said, with as much dignity as he could muster. The desert nights were cold, even with the heavy curtains across the archway to the balcony in their chambers, and he was tired. "I can assure you that were I to force Gabranth to accompany me to Rabanastre he will be profoundly difficult."
"You are Emperor," Ashelia's tone seemed to indicate that she felt this solved everything, minions-wise.
"Do not tell me his brother has never proved stubborn." This was potentially a long shot: so far as he had seen of Basch, the man seemed happily amenable to just about everything, even the unenviable task of keeping Larsa fully occupied for an entire day in Lowtown, enough for Vayne to amuse himself to his satisfaction with his Empress in the Leviathan.
Ashelia made a face. "Sometimes. But I do not care much for Archades."
That was an understatement, Vayne felt, with a grin. Ashelia did not like the food, the politics, the clothes, the weather, the urban jungle of lofty buildings… and a myriad other different aspects of life in Archades, with which she would take every opportunity to voice complaint, and they had long agreed wordlessly that for their mutual peace of mind the monthly Rabanastre visits were preferable for both parties.
"Or we could leave the matter be. No doubt whatever it was between them that soured their brotherhood must have been-"
"Ultimately your fault," Ashelia said flatly, and glared at him when he arched an eyebrow. "Emperor."
"I did not declare war on Landis," Vayne pointed out.
"But you participated. And you are now Emperor."
"So I am," Vayne said, keeping a tight rein on his temper, "But I was not Emperor then, and the participation was no choice of mine. I was your age." He had lost his brothers in the war, to ambition and treachery. It had hurt.
"Ah." Old wounds were difficult to hide when they were deep, and Ashelia must have seen something: she looked girlish then, abruptly uncertain, the fingers of her right hand twisting in a lick of her hair. "I am sorry, if I have mis-spoken."
Vayne shrugged (old wounds), then straightened up on the couch when Ashelia approached him, to sit atop his thighs with her long legs folded against his hips, her arms around his neck, resting her cheek against his shoulder. He relaxed, startled at the sudden change, as he held her close, listened to her breathing, and knew that one of the main traits of his Empress that drew him to her was the difficulty he had in predicting her.
0.2 the lost
She had been surprised to find Maethel was right, after all, about men (as much as Ashe blushed to think): they tended to be far more amenable to matters after satiation. This was usually why she preferred to argue with Vayne before: it tended to be more stimulating (and fairer), but on this issue Ashe (not without some guilt) resorted to underhanded tactics.
III Ronsenburg stubbornness
Vayne knew he should have been more suspicious of Ashelia during the week he was in Rabanastre, when more time was spent out riding, discussing philosophy and in engagements in bedroom games than actually quarreling about policy. As such Vayne had been in a somewhat bemused state of contentment when he had agreed (all unthinking) to bring Gabranth the 'next time', and he was now regretting it, three weeks after the fact.
The problem was although he knew well enough that Gabranth would obey him and agree if ordered to go, Vayne had not been overstating matters when he said that the man would turn out to be profoundly difficult: matters would likely escalate to the point that Gabranth would 'happen' to be so intrinsically tied to matters of significance in Archades that he simply could not go.
And so the matter stood that it was a day before he had to leave for Rabanastre and the easiest way he could see to get the Judge-Magister onto the Leviathan without fuss was to have some people kidnap him.
Vayne shuddered to think what his reception would be were he not to bring Gabranth. About a week after he had (to a certain degree) reconciled with Ashelia he had brought up the mutual expedience of House Solidor's historical concept of marital fidelity (or technical lack of) wherein both parties were free to pursue their own discreet affairs. After weathering the immediate resultant indignant storm and spending a considerable amount of effort apologizing for his crass and perverse suggestion, and then enduring the month after that of cold silence, Vayne had wondered why in the name of Hell had he ever thought she would agree.
And therefore, for the sake of succession if nothing else (or so Vayne told himself), the first monogamous Emperor in Solidor memory needed a solution. Besides, Gabranth was beginning to notice that he was stalling, and was becoming curt in his report.
"You wish to ask something of me, Lord Vayne?" Gabranth finally inquired. Ronsenburgs weren't stupid.
"How busy are you within the next week?" Vayne asked, discarding dissimulation for an order. Besides, he could always kidnap Gabranth, he thought sourly. Damn young Empresses and their insistence on marital monopolies.
"There is the matter of the Yalian Consul and…" Gabranth paused, narrowing his eyes. "Is this about my brother, sir?"
"Why would you think so?"
"Because it does not take much deduction to conclude that you likely found the matter of my brother interesting enough to bring up with Empress Ashelia," Gabranth reasoned impatiently, "After which she likely insisted that you take me with you tomorrow to Rabanastre. Am I right, sir?"
"Remarkably so," Vayne said, somewhat surprised. He had to learn to guard himself a little better on the issue of Ashelia. Gods knew what would happen were a belief to spread that Archadia's Emperor was besotted with his pretty young wife: Ashelia could cause untold chaos with access to Imperial Court petitioners who thought they could curry favor with her.
"You could have simply asked me," Gabranth said mildly, though he looked resigned. "Your Majesty."
"Would you have come?" Vayne countered. "Willingly, without trouble?"
"Perhaps in the interests of avoiding royal marital strife," Gabranth said, and there was this brother's humor, in the faint, fleeting curve of his lips.
0.3 and that a surprise
Ashe told herself she wasn't surprised when Vayne greeted her at the Eastern Gate with a helmed Judge at his back, and that therefore, she shouldn't be pleased. The Judge coughed and turned his head when she kissed his Emperor full on the lips.
IV This side of this world
Basch looked as though he wanted to bolt at any given opportunity, Gabranth thought, as he took his helmet off and saw recognition flare in his mirror's eyes. They had been left alone in one of the staterooms, this one with a balcony overlooking the bazaar, the noise hardly muted even six storeys up. He placed his helmet on the antique long table in the center of the room, considered sitting down, but remained standing instead, in the stretching silence.
His brother looked well, in his fitted General's armor, his skin darkened a little from the harsh sun, his cornstalk hair still worn carelessly long. The scar over his face seemed a little less livid. Gabranth stared at Basch until the latter dropped his eyes, to his gauntlets, and his resentment, that had festered on the entire journey to Rabanastre, seemed to lose focus.
They had been fourteen then.
"She passed away," he said then, into the silence, and watched Basch flinch. He wanted to add and at the end, she asked for you, but the blade of his words seemed enough: the eyes Basch raised him were wounded, an old wound long unhealed, while Gabranth's had already begun to scab. They had been fourteen, but he still could not find it within himself to forgive the brother who had looked forward and walked away, not even now.
Gabranth waited a moment longer, then turned away and stalked to the balcony, folding his arms over the sill, looking down at the bazaar. "I did not wish to come."
"Very likely," Basch murmured. "Do you wish me to leave?"
"This is what my Emperor told me yesterday," Gabranth said, ignoring the question, the words difficult in his throat. "That he spoke to Empress Ashelia and to one Sir Vossler Azelas, and that they had informed him that you had entered Dalmasca from the Entite Pass."
"Aye."
"But the shortest path to Dalmasca is through the Mourn valleys." When Basch did not answer, Gabranth added, "But at Landis' side of the Entite pass there was a town called Estericht, where there was rumor that a powerful healer resides." Silence. "By the time you reached Estericht, Mother had already passed away."
A pause. "Aye."
"You did not think of first informing me why you were leaving?"
"Because you already thought it was cowardice. Because perhaps it was cowardice. I did not wish to watch her die. And because if you had told me that it was foolish I would have believed you." An exhalation. "You would have been right."
"Why did you not come back?" Gabranth turned around then.
Basch held his eyes only for a moment, then dropped them back to his gloves. "I heard that the Lady Elaine fon Ronsenburg had passed through the Veil, that Archadia had conquered the Holdings. I did not want to return only to find your graves."
"So you went on, through the Entite Pass."
"I did."
"Did you know I had turned Magister?"
"Gabranth. Aye."
"And why did you never send word to me-"
"Because you would not have believed me. Because it sounds all too much like mere excuse. And because it does not change the fact that I left," Basch glanced up again, "And did not return."
It was Gabranth's turn to look away, exhaling, curling his fingers tight over the weathered stone.
0.4 but they didn't
Vayne looked amusingly annoyed when Ashe brought up her dissatisfaction with how the matter of the Ronsenburg brothers seemed to have settled, but then again, she had been in the process of lapping at him, curled between muscular thighs. His reply had been curt. Did you think it would resolve overnight? Of course she didn't, which was why she was going to ask him to bring Gabranth again next month – after she took advantage of Vayne's frustration. Ashe smiled, hoping she looked appropriately coy, and lightly scratched her nails up his prick (he guessed immediately at her intent, of course, but he only groaned).
V Hence the twilight
Vayne had no idea why Ashelia was concerning herself so much with the private affairs of two stubborn grown men, and in fact was somewhat surprised (and disconcerted) to find that she had somehow managed to rope a number of people into the project, including her father, Vossler, Larsa, Drace and even Zargabaath. Still, it was giving her something to do other than harangue him about internal affairs, and as such he quietly settled the Yalian Consul, suppressed the rebellion, and was vetting new taxation legislation before Gabranth finally approached him and asked him to call them off.
Judge-Magister Gabranth looked stressed and tired, while his Emperor was feeling much better about the whole matter, even as Gabranth told him rather irritably that his lady wife was the source of Drace and Zargabaath's suddenly endless questions about his childhood, as well as Larsa's equally endless inquiries as to when he was next visiting his brother.
"But if I am correct, you are not on speaking terms with your brother because of a misunderstanding," Vayne said. His desk had fewer stacks of paperwork than it used to.
"Sir." Gabranth wore a hunted expression, which seemed entirely out of place and absolutely amusing. Vayne did not bother to hide his smirk, which made his knight sigh. "I understand that you are letting matters take their course so as to amuse Empress Ashelia, but I am busy and-"
"And you do not wish to admit that you may be a little in the wrong in this matter? And you believe this, of course," Vayne continued, when Gabranth was silent, "If not you would simply have brushed away the entire business instead of allowing it to affect you."
"Sir." Stiff reproach. "May I be dismissed?"
"Do allow it to drag on as long as you wish," Vayne inclined his head. "I, for one, am benefiting directly."
0.5 because they are men
Ashe informed her husband that she felt both brothers were now being equally stubborn about matters, to which he asked her, dryly, what she thought he could do about that. It occurred to Ashe that were she to know more about the pleasures of men she could convince Vayne to be somewhat more cooperative, but then there was little need to when she knew all the other ways.
VI Lasting Situation
Ashelia's conciliation: that she spend a week on Archades within which there would be no complaints about the city whatsoever – began with a fight, wherein Ashelia had asked, very sweetly, whether she could wear Dalmascan clothes, and he, being distracted by a question posed by Judge-Magister Gabranth earlier about the Magister selections, had answered 'wear as little as you like'.
Gabranth had looked amused later in the day – somehow the man had found out – but had not given comment, at least. Vayne had long lost track of the matter of the Ronsenburg brothers (as he filed it in his mind), and therefore asked, somewhat irritably, after his brother.
"He is well," Gabranth said vaguely. They were in the south lawns of the Akademy, the sternly trimmed gardens clear of cadets, an hour after luncheon. "Please send the Empress my regards." A pause. "When she next speaks with you."
The very faint, fleeting smirk told Vayne that the argument had indeed not escaped the ears of the Empire's Head of military intelligence, and his mood soured further.
0.6 on the money
Ashe smiled when Basch opened his defense on her critique of his anti-bandit suggestions with But my brother said, laughed when he blushed and looked beseechingly at Vossler (who drawled, without e'er changing his expression, that he did not think Archadian tactics quite applicable). It wasn't perfect still, but it didn't need to be.
-fin-