Title: The Courtship of the Lady Ashe
Character/Pairing: Balthier/Ashe
Rating: PG-13
Summary: With a wicked grin, Balthier turned out to the rest of the Great Hall. He watched Ashe's face turn bright red but he knew she now was unable to stop him with the audience they had. "This is my formal declaration to The Royal City of Rabanastre of my intent to court the Lady Ashe."

Spoilers: The entire game
Notes: Currently unbeta'ed so apologies for any typos ahead of time.

Also, the song Balthier sings is based off of a real song. It's called "She Moved through the Faire." I really agonized over the use of the song with in this chapter, as Jamie and several of my friends can attest to. The use of songs usually annoys me and I avoid at all costs since it can be used so poorly and can take you out of the story. But the use of it here moved the story in a way I wanted it to since I find music far more powerful than simple prose and I tried to do it in a delicate way since I do not use actual lyrics and it is not a well known song. Please tell me what you honestly think since I have heard so many varying opinions on the subject and would like to get a broader view.

Balthier became a regular at court after that. He always came as "Lord Bunansa, Comte of Skibreidhe of Archadia" and it quickly became apparent the "Lord Bunansa" was a favorite of the Queen.

Ashe told him that before his reappearance back into her life, she found holding court incredibly dull. She had often wished to do away with it but understood that she did not want to be known as a reclusive ruler like her father was. Traveling with two of her subjects who didn't recognize her made her aware that she should make her face known. But after Balthier had started to come around, she looked forward to the time she got to spend with him and his witty comments at all of the pomp and circumstance that she was surrounded by.

At first, Ashe tried to keep him away because was terrified that he would be recognized as Balthier. But between his and Dr. Cid's desire to disavow each other's existence, the connection between Ffamran Bunansa and "that sky pirate chap" was never made. It didn't stop the occasional courtier from recognizing him as "Cid's boy" but it was quickly made clear that Balthier had no desire to remember his father and the conversation quickly changed topics.

Balthier was not only becoming Ashe's favorite but her court, her staff and her advisors all seem to enjoy the company of the "Comte of Skibreidhe" and Balthier did all he could to encourage it. He'd do some light flirting with the maids and Ashe's Ladies-in-Waiting which would made them blush and giggle, he would talk politics with any of Ashe's advisors which proved to them that he was not without intellect, and would discuses airships with anyone interested in the topic which caused the few who met Ffamran when he was young to chuckle about how some things never changed.

The most discussed topic in court was Balthier and the Queens relationship. Many enjoyed the idea of the young queen finding love in the young Comte after all of the pain she had been through. But just as many people within the court suspected that the Queen was not over her first husband.

Ashe stood at the bridge for sometime after Vaan had left. Her hope was to outlast her companions and if she was going to cry, rage or lose her mind, she would do it alone and in peace.

Vaan's confirmation of seeing Rasler was unsettling. She wasn't sure if she was loosing her mind but her brief vision of him when it was in fact Vaan did not lie well within her. She didn't know what to think of these visions. She was certain that she would get very little sleep that night contemplating this.

She also thought over her companions. Would her father or husband or brothers be ashamed of her because of the company she kept these days? The two children, Vaan and Penelo, she grew to liking everyday. They were her subjects and while Vaan may be a thief, he was made so because of the Empire. They were the people she was fighting for. The more she traveled with Basch the more she was certain of his story and regretted the time she spent hating him. He stood by her when Vossler did not.

This left The Pirates. The Viera Pirate was no nonsense and despite Basch finding her profession objectionable, Ashe could tell that if he was not a little infatuated by Fran then he certainly was intrigued. Ashe thought about it and decided that Fran was a worthy companion if Basch trusted her well enough.

The Male Pirate… no… Balthier, on the other hand gave her doubt. She trusted him when it came to the journey. It was he who Ashe had struck the barging with. The deal was for him to take her to Jahara and yet he had made all inclinations that he planned to continue on with them then next day when by all accounts he had every right to take Rasler's wedding ring and leave.

He disturbed her for some reason she had yet to place. He was pleasant enough despite the indecent looks he gave her. She had received worst when she was with the Resistance. The men she was with, save Vossler, had no idea who she was other than an attractive young woman, and in the end those men were like the brothers that she had lost. She certainly didn't view Balthier like she viewed her brothers. No, she's been thinking of Balthier in highly inappropriate ways. And that was a problem.

She didn't even know why the thoughts started. It wasn't just because he was attractive, which she couldn't deny. But she had been around attractive men in the Resistance. Something about him just caused her mind to stray.

The appearance of Rasler scared her. She didn't know which was worse, Vaan seeing him or not. Vaan not seeing him meant she was loosing her mind but the connotation of someone else seeing him… terror clutched at her chest. Could her dead husband be haunting her? She was not a superstitious person by the light of day, but there were nights, well deep into her adolescence,where she would lay awake, clutching her blanket, listening for bumps in the night. Was it really Rasler visiting her? Was he wishing for her to seek revenge on The Empire? What would he think of her… interests in Balthier, a shameless pirate with an Archadian accent?

Several hours had passed in restlessness when she decided that she had stayed up long enough to make the next day thoroughly unpleasant and she went back to the camp they had set up.

Their sleeping arrangements in the Garif camp were not too different from what they had set up out in the wild since the Garif had no lodgings to offer but the open air. The only difference was that they were spread out and they had no use for a watch, so she was rather surprised to find Balthier adding wood to the fire and humming to himself. She stood at the edge of camp listening to him for several minutes. It was a haunting tune that she didn't recognize, but seemed to fit her mood that night.

"Couldn't sleep, Princess?" he asked her all of a sudden. She didn't realize he knew she was there. "You ought to; it will be a long day tomorrow."

"I could say the same to you."

"I've slept some. I just woke up for my shift out of habit I suppose, when I noticed you hadn't been to bed yet. Figured I would check and make sure that you made it into camp alright."

"I thank you for your concerns… What was that song you were humming?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just something my mother used to sing." Balthier stared into the fire.

"It's beautiful. Are there words?" He nodded in the affirmative. She sat down upon her bedding. "Will you sing them?" He gave a wistful smile and he started singing softly in a baritone voice.

The song when hummed was a haunting tune but with words, it became very sad. Balthier stared intently into the fire through the whole song never looking at her or anywhere else. The song was a description of a man's young fiancé. While he couldn't provide well for her, her family liked him sufficiently and the girl looks forward to their wedding but before it could take place the young girl died. The song ended describing the girl's ghost coming to visit the man with the ghost still saying she couldn't wait for their wedding day.

When he finished the song, Ashe finally became conscious of the tears that were rolling down her face.

"Princess?" he inquired.

She furiously started wiping away the tears. This is was the whole reason she had stayed away earlier that night. She hated weakness, especially her own. But the words of the song and them being sung by the man who had consumed a lot of tremulous thought that night pulled hard enough at her already taut heart strings that involuntarily she was driven to tears.

He walked to her makeshift bed and crouched down next her. "Do not worry about it," Ashe told him. "A breeze just wafted the smoke from the fire into my eyes. I am fine, Balthier. No need to concern yourself."

He picked up her face with his hand and made her looking him in the eye. She was shocked to find how close his face was to hers. "There is no breeze tonight, Princess," he murmured. Against her will, Ashe felt the tears start to spring to her eyes anew. "It's alright," Balthier told her. He finally sat down upon her bedding and took her into his arms. "Let it out. It's okay."

Ashe had trouble believing his words, for her tears at this moment had to deal with the betrayal she felt she had just committed against Rasler. When Balthier was looking at her, Ashe wasn't thinking about the song Balthier had just finished, her country in shambles or her dead husband which had consumed so many of her thoughts for the last two years. When she looked at Balthier, all she thought about was kissing him and icy dread and guilt descended upon her as she thought of what her late husband would think of her infidelity.

Some courtiers had the audacity to point out to Balthier that Ashe still wore her wedding ring. Balthier was tired of the gossip. Balthier knew she had come to terms with Rasler's death over the course of their journey and their relationship. He was sick of having gossips try and put him off his task of letting their relationship go as public as it could be considering all they needed to hide.

Truth was he was planning something to get them to stop but he wanted to mess with Ashe a bit before he started.

"Lady Ashe," Balthier addressed her formally as he always did when at court. No one really listened to their conversations but it still would have been considered improper if he didn't show some sign of respect. "Do you recall the conversation we had a few weeks ago?"

They were sitting at dinner in the great hall. It was a formal banquet for some foreign dignitary from Rozarria who was sitting at Ashe's left. The dignitary, whose importance had escaped Balthier, had been conversing with his companion the entire dinner leaving Ashe and Balthier to chat in peace. With the hall full with all sorts of nobles from all over and they were technically at court by Dalmasca's standards, now was as good as any and Balthier was not known as one who would wait when the opportunity presented itself.

Balthier watched as Ashe's face creased a little as she tried to recall what he may be speaking about. "I don't think I do."

"Sure you do. About formal courtship rules…" Ashe's face showed she understood what he was getting at. Not only of the conversation he had referred to but also what he intended to do next. Balthier stood up, picked up her hand and gave a polite formal kiss upon it and several people had turned to watch them when he suddenly stood. With a wicked grin, Balthier turned out to the rest of the Great Hall. He watched Ashe's face turn bright red but he knew she now was unable to stop him with the audience they had. "This is my formal declaration to The Royal City of Rabanastre of my intent to court the Lady Ashe."

The rest of the evening went by in a blur for Balthier. Whatever he had expected the reaction to be from the announcement it was not this… paperwork.

There had been polite applause for their Queen to have a formal suitor and Balthier and Ashe had some light chatting with other courtiers but then a prim scholar and one of Ashe's advisors had shuffled him to the side and eventually out of the hall entirely. The whole thing was very much a repetition of signing his name. It was for prestige and historical documents, nothing legal or actually vital. He had been vetted upon his first appearance in front of the Queen so the legitimacy of his identity was never once questioned. He just wondered why the papers were so easily on hand.

Balthier was just starting to become certain that Ashe had not come to rescue him as his punishment for springing it on her, when she walked in.

"I want to thank you," she said in a dry tone, "for all of the paperwork you created for me."

"I have been sitting through the same. Last time I signed my name this many times was when I became a judge."

"Why did you do that if I may ask?"

"You may. I just figured it would make my presence around the palace a little easier. If we don't wake in time or I get caught sneaking in one night, it would be far easier to dismiss this way. If I had known it would be all of this," he waved at the stack of papers, "I would have rethought it. Why did they separate us, if we were just doing the same thing?" he asked grabbing her once she came in reach to pull her on his lap.

"It's tradition. It gives my advisors a chance to say or ask anything awkward to either of us."

He raised an eyebrow. "I was left here alone. They say anything to you?"

She gave a bemused smile. "I think they were probably afraid they would scare you off. They seemed elated that I was 'publicly out of mourning and with someone who was a noble choice versus some of the sky pirate ruffians that I had taken up with on my travels, while out of necessity at the time, is unfitting for a queen now.'" She had mimicked the tone of the advisor who had shoved all of the paperwork upon Balthier.

"Oh, they said all of that, did they?" Balthier was rather pleased with himself that he could hide so well among this group. Good to know he could still pull off a simple con. Blend in with enough half truths. Certainly helped to have an inside man, or Queen in this case, to help you with credibility. Too bad Ashe got her country back, he though longingly, she could have helped in some spectacular heists.

"They did hint that they wished for someone of a slightly higher rank but it shows Dalmasca's attempts to put the past behind us and strengthen our ties with the Empire while still keeping our independence through a family that was closely tied with the Solidors. You were a godsend to them when you appeared and had been hoping you would do something like this. There is also a marriage contract already drawn up in case you had gone that route instead, they informed me tonight. Honestly you did me a favor. This should keep them from hinting for me to marry Al-Cid for a while."

Balthier clenched his jaw but managed to keep the sneer off of his face. The philandering git… Granted, Balthier's reputation wasn't much better than the Rozarrian prince, but he wasn't thinking of that at the moment. He had seen the two together and Al-Cid flirtation with Ashe appeared to be more of a reflex than anything genuine. He would make a horrible husband for her.

Instead of dwelling on this, Balthier just rested his head against her shoulder blades and enjoyed the feel of Ashe in his arms. He ignored the nagging voice in his head that told him someday she would be in need of a husband and the Ffamran Bunansa whom her court thought was the perfect choice for her had not existed since he was 16. Ffamran was just an extra who got killed off before the end of the first scene and was not the leading man. Balthier could only play the role of Ffamran to an extent and this was a far as he could and would take it. A royal marriage would make the part more permanent than he was comfortable with.