The Palace of Rabanastre, Grand Hall
A/N: This chapter is rather different again from what has gone before and paints Balthier in a somewhat unflattering light, I suppose, but I thought it important to illustrate that Ashe has a right to be angry as I sometimes think she comes across as a bit of a temperamental madam in this fic!
Ashe watched from behind the thick tapestry curtain obscuring the entrance to the alcove she waited in (she would not call it hiding, she was merely waiting for the proper time to make her formal entrance).
At her back Penelo nervously plucked at the long sleeved gown she wore uncomfortably, Ashe really didn't mind the younger woman's tattoos but Penelo had some odd views on what one should wear when waiting on a Queen or expected to give evidence in Crown Court.
Ashe herself was strangely calm, that same serene sense of unfolding destiny that had also carried her through that last, monstrous encounter with the forces of Empire aboard Bahamut, enfolded her.
She had done all she could to affect a positive outcome and now it was out of her hands. What would be, would be, and the feeling of liberation shrugging off the burden of responsibility to some higher fate gave her was oddly uplifting.
The grand audience chamber of her palace had been transformed by her industrious serving staff (Ashe refused to refer to the people who worked in the palace as servants once she regained her title, two years living under the ground had taught her how to value people regardless of their lineage; for this reason Ashe had more palace staff than she needed but would be damned if she turned one of her people away if they wished to work.)
Serried rows of wooden pews much like those found in the Cathedral lined up in ranks either side of the chamber and a dock had been erected to the left of her throne of state with its velvet canopy for the and defendant and witness testimonies.
Ashe had insisted the trial be open to the public and already the pews were filled with the well-to-do of Dalmasca, and the galleries and pillared cloisters to the far reaches of the grand hall were thronged with what appeared to be most of the rest of Rabanastre's population.
Ashe allowed herself a tiny smile as she spotted diplomats and travelling pedlars of gossip from Bhujerba, Rozzaria and Archades among the crowds eager to bare witness to the trial of the famous sky pirate Balthier.
A strange excitement burbled in Ashe's stomach, she had presided over a number of trials for the highly sensitive crimes that required the judgement of the head of state but this, this, was so much more.
There was a ripple of commotion from the back of the hall as the huge gold carven doors of the chamber were heaved open and the crowds received their first glimpse of the infamous defendant himself.
Ashe, from her vantage point, slightly raised above the ground level, still could not see him as the crowds surged forward and a simply staggering wall of sound crashed like a tidal wave throughout the chamber.
Balthier had cultivated a reputation in certain circles of Ivalice's society before she had ever met him, but that reputation had reached staggering proportions when he became the first wanted felon to be on first name basis with all the leaders of Ivalice's greatest nations.
Not to mention his ship was known in Rabanastre as the 'Armistice Strahl' due to the fact that it was onboard the Strahl that a ceasefire was called to end all hostilities between Rabanastre and Archadia.
For her Chief Justice prosecuting the case against Balthier this made the prospect somewhat daunting, though the bird-like little man was determined to prove, irrevocably, that Balthier was a scoundrel and wastrel and guilty of his crimes.
Ashe found the notion that anyone could fail to realise Balthier was a scoundrel and a wastrel and guilty as original sin, highly amusing, not to mention implausible.
For Ashe this trial had a different purpose. She knew, of course she knew, that she and Balthier could not have a relationship with any semblance of normalcy, but numerous sleepless nights defending herself to the oil painting of her dead husband that hung from the wall of her private chamber, had convinced Ashe that she was willing to fight to keep this pirate in her life.
The only way she stood any chance of doing so was by throwing him to her people and hoping that he could charm an entire city state enough that they could forget certain undesirable character flaws, such as his criminality, his Archadian heritage, or his simply staggering arrogance and welcome his presence unreservedly.
Dalmasca, Ashe was certain, had a need for a good sky pirate; this trial she hoped would have her people equally convinced.
As her father had always told her, a monarch must always listen to the people. A ruler could only truly rule with the mandate of the people behind them.
Ashe had lost her family, her husband and all the people she had ever depended on at one time or the other and had accepted that loss as the price of duty and birthright. She would bear it with honour ever more.
She was prepared and willing to give her youth, her strength, and her life to Dalmasca and the restoration of her husbands homeland of Nabradia, but was it truly so terrible, so unfair, to want one little thing for herself? Even if he was a damned sky pirate?
Finally!
Finally she had her first glimpse of the pirate and she had to bite her lip on a grim smile to see him.
The words resplendent strutting peacock came to her mind, as he strolled with arrogant lack of haste towards the dock, gracefully receiving as his due the rabid attentions of the crowd.
He wore a vest that was so full of snowy white whorls of velvet and swirls of silver gilt thread that it hurt her eyes to look on it, his leather trousers were indecently tight as always but almost hidden under the snug encasing of thigh high supple leather boots bedecked in silver buckles.
His white belt pouches, bulging as ever, and the black gloves he still wore over his hands proved a sharp contrast to the luminous white of his shirt sleeves and unrelieved blackness of his trousers.
Ashe looked down on her own attire and was pleased that she had decided that she too should put on a sartorial display. It was ironic that their particular colour schemes would be so dramatically complimentary; white and silver to black and gold.
Taking in a deep breath, having waited for the furore to die down in the hall, Ashe swept aside the thick damask illustrated curtain and stalked into the hall, her attendants scurrying to keep up in her wake.
Ashe could not help the buoying sense of pleasure she received as the audience packing the hall for this, the first day of court, gasped to see her. Yes, she was very glad she had decided to have this particular gown made for her.
Ashe ascended the dais to her waiting throne, turned around to face the waiting court, every person standing to attention, and took a moment to simply drink this moment in. These were the moment she had been born for and she would enjoy them for all they were worth.
Ashe allowed herself a lightening fast sideways glance towards the dock and a thrill of delight ran from the diadem on head to the tips of her booted toes to see the unguarded expression of shock and desire on the pirate's face.
The boned and fitted bodice of her high collared jacket was made of glossy black silk and lushly embroidered with gold thread and opal beads, her skirt was a glittering strip of gold satin that complimented her metal greaves and the black leather of her knee high boots.
Balthier, she noticed, seemed to be having some trouble raising his gaze beyond her mid-rift, but he was not the only one. A Queen must always be able to captivate her audience, using any means at her disposal, so Ashe's tutors had taught her. The lesson she now put into practice, though perhaps, she admitted wryly, not in the way her tutors might have wished.
'Ladies, Gentlemen, citizens of Dalmasca and honoured guests, welcome to my palace.'
Ashe began her prepared speech. Years of oration training helping her voice carry smoothly to the back of the hall.
'We have gathered today to begin proceedings in the trial of Dalmasca versus Balthier Sky Pirate.'
Ashe felt somewhat silly referring to Balthier as such, but had no desire to plunge her court into the deep and murky waters of Balthier's true lineage, therefore his birth name would remain hidden, even her Chief Justice was unaware of who Balthier truly was.
'I am sure many of you know that I myself have a past association with the defendant, who was once a great asset in the restoration of Dalmasca's liberty. This I freely admit and it grieves me personally that this trial is necessary.'
Ashe paused to allow the court to absorb her words and saw in the corner of her eye Balthier scoff in scornful amusement at her statement, though he made sure the gesture would not be seen by anyone in the pews.
'However I am first and foremost a Queen and a Queen must see that the laws of her land are upheld for the good of all her citizens.'
Ashe again paused and deliberately turned to face Balthier directly as he lounged casually in the dock. Balthier gazed back at her with his usual facetious lack of concern, slight smirk quirking his lips.
Ashe turned away with what she hoped looked to the avid audience to be an expression of grieved resolve, even as a decidedly un-regal giggle threatened to escape her lips.
' A crime has been committed against Dalmasca, it is the duty of this court to decide if that crime was perpetrated by the defendant or not.'
A murmur rose from the packed crowds and Ashe waited for them to settle down once more before continuing.
'For this reason, due to the need for an impartial and unbiased judgement on the facts of this case, regardless of personal feeling, I have decided that final judgement on the case of Dalmasca versus Balthier Sky Pirate should be decided by public ballot.'
The hall erupted in excited chatter and Ashe saw Balthier twitch in the dock, he had not been informed of this arrangement beforehand, and for a moment his perfectly concocted expression of pleasant disinterest almost slipped before he caught himself.
Ashe bit down on the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling and, once the clamour had subsided sufficiently, turned slightly towards her Chief Justice.
'Chief Justice Veniliss, would you be so kind as to give your opening statement so we may commence these proceedings?'
Her Chief Justice rose with bony eagerness and Ashe felt almost guilty that he had put so much effort into gathering a deluge of incriminating evidence against Balthier, all the while blissfully ignorant that his own sovereign was determined to see the prosecutions case fail.
Some of the evidence of Balthier's crimes Ashe was highly concerned about now that she knew of them, she had always fancied the pirate something of a poseur and dandy thief, but the circumstantial evidence and conjecture her Chief Justice had diligently gathered suggested a decidedly more ruthless criminal mind lurked behind his charming countenance.
She wondered if she truly even knew the pirate as she futively watched him stand to lounging attention as Veniliss started his speech. Ashe barely heard the Chief Justice's words, having heard numerous draft variations as the man prepared for trial.
' People of Dalmasca, as Her Royal Highness, Queen Ashelia, has already stated this is no ordinary criminal case, to treat it as such is to fail to understand the magnitude of the offence this man, this self-proclaimed sky pirate, has committed against not just the Kingdom of Dalmasca but against her sovereign queen as well.'
Veniliss pointed a long, bony finger rather over-dramatically towards the Dock and Ashe saw the quiver of a smile fight for freedom on Balthier's lips, but the pirate controlled the impulse and instead gazed steadily back at the Chief Justice.
Ashe deliberately kept her expression stoic and unmoved as the audience tittered in surprise and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slight frown pucker Balthier's brow as he briefly looked to her, before he quickly controlled it.
' This man who stands before you today once travelled with our Queen as she strove to free us all from the tyranny of the Empire, and he did indeed risk his life to steer the stricken Bahamut Sky Fortress from collision course with Rabanastre's paling, averting catastrophe.'
Veniliss, for all that he was a physically unimposing man had a magnificent voice, Ashe fancied mischievously that her Chief Justice may even have a better speaking voice than Balthier himself, hearing the two men dicker over legal technicalities was going to be an aural delight.
'Therefore, you may be asking yourselves, why Dalmasca would ever put such a man on trial, has he not earned our praise rather than our censure?'
Ashe couldn't help noticing Vaan, standing close to her dais on the right of the throne nod his head at this, it had come down to direct command, monarch to freshly knighted captain of arms to make the young man testify against Balthier.
'But I would ask you this, people of Dalmasca, does one act of heroism exonerate this man from the laws of the land? Does he now stand above the laws of Ivalice?'
Ashe nodded her head gravely. This was the real meat of the question, the main sticking point that could sway the case against Balthier; his complete contempt for monarchy and authority in general.
Ashe had to admit such views hardly sat well with her, she rather saw it as a personal insult given her status.
'And let us also consider the personal aspect of this case.' Veniliss continued gravely, his rich voice wrapping around the great hall pleasant but commanding.
'The Law can often seem impersonal and cold in the eyes of the people, we lawyers deal in facts and obscure legislative precedent, but the truth is, crime is imminently personal – we can all be victim to it.'
Ashe had to admit, not for the first time, that her Chief Justice was good, very good. A testament to this was the slight frown that had taken up permanent residence upon Balthier's brow, and that he now stood up straight in the dock, his eyes rooted with intense focus on her Chief Justice as he addressed the chamber.
'If a man who you trusted implicitly and gave your faith to unreservedly came to your home and stole from you, would you not feel deeply betrayed by that act? Would it not cast doubt on your faith in that man? Regardless of what good he had done for you in times past?'
Murmurs of agreement greeted Veniliss' silky question and Ashe saw Penelo twitch where she sat on the first step of the dais close to her queen, saw clearly in the young woman's honest face doubt slosh behind her eyes as she considered these words and their implicit truth.
Balthier's expression had not changed, he watched Veniliss like a hawk, the pirate was clever enough to see the trap the Chief Justice was baiting, to see where the man was going with his leading statements and emotive rhetorical questions.
' Ladies and Gentlemen, citizens of Dalmasca, this is the crime of which Balthier Sky Pirate stands accused. This man once risked his life for a country not his own and a Queen he owed no fealty to and was, as such, granted the trust of our sovereign and her gratitude, yet he returned to Dalmasca to rob her, to trick her, and defraud her people.'
A ripple of dismay went through the gathered crowd, all of them, whether they fully understood it or not, where now the jury in this extraordinary trial.
'Once this man would have been pardoned passed crimes and welcomed by our sovereign with open arms, in gratitude for his heroism aboard Bahamut, he chose instead to ply his illegal trade within Dalmasca. To abuse in secret a trust once given in all honesty, turning upon a country that would have rewarded him richly had he asked it and instead choosing to steal from the very pockets of Dalmasca's people.'
Even Vaan was now staring at Balthier with a complicated expression of confusion and anger on his round features.
Ashe winced inside that she must do this, strike a blow to Balthier's reputation in order to redeem it, and yet for all that she regretted it, there would be no case to answer for at all if Balthier was not guilty of everything Veniliss accused him of.
Whether she had been foolish to trust him or not, whether it was folly in the extreme to care for him as she did, mattered little, all that mattered was she had trusted him and depended on him, had believed in him in a way she had not allowed herself to believe in anyone since her father's death, and he had betrayed that trust.
Ashe was stirred from her thoughts and she realised with a start that Veniliss had finished his opening statement, Balthier had been sworn in, and had been released from the dock so he could begin his rebuttal.
Ashe sat up even straighter in her throne. More than anything she wanted the silver-tongued pirate to talk his way out of the accusations made against him. She so wanted to forgive him and yet she feared that all he would do was further hurt her.
She watched as she knew everyone else did, Balthier step down from the dock, walk to the centre of floor and stand quietly at the foot of her dais to look straight up at her as she sat on her throne.
As the expectant silence ticked on, excruciating slowly, Balthier flexed his fingers in his gloves, tugged on his cuffs and brushed his hands down the front of his velvet vest with nonchalant grace.
He opened his mouth, eyes rooted to her, and Ashe could not care less that he was perpetrating a near unforgivable breach of protocol by not kneeling before her; she held her breath waiting for his words.
It felt to her as if time had rolled back and she was once more the scared and desperate girl, caught red handed trying to steal an airship she could not even fly from the Bhujerba aerodrome and reduced to almost begging a man she did not even know to provide a means to make her desires come true.