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Chapter 19

It was early in the morning of the 2nd of May and Larsa stood anxiously on his stool, allowing his hand maids to dress him up for the day. He paid little attention to his attire, the fancy white jacket suit with gold embroidery with rubies and emeralds dotted across the fabric in fashionable places. His shiny white leather shoes that could almost be used as a mirror and a pretty sword that had a handle encrusted in jewels and felt way too heavy to actually fight with.

Larsa couldn't sleep for one minute that night. He'd stayed up pondering over the little information he had on the Senate and their plans trying in vain to find out what they had planned for today. There was no way they would just let today go by without incident, that would make them obsolete. Once he becomes king, then they will have no power against him what so ever.

Larsa kept trying over and over again to find reason to at least postpone the ceremonies but gave up as he suddenly found himself in front of what was likely all of Archadia and half of Ivalice with Rossi kneeling before him, dubbing him King before them all.

Larsa gritted his teeth as he drowned out Rossi's words and tried his best to properly survey his surroundings to see if he could ferret out anything that could possible cause a disturbance or just something, anything that could make them postpone this event.

He followed procedure well enough, remembering his older brother Vayne's corronation and allowed the progression to lead him to a small table where all the Heads of State stood waiting for him. When he got closer he realized that on the table sat the Galtean Treaty and several pens for them all to sign with. Larsa looked around even more frantically now for something that could stop the procession. His eyes met Lady Ashe's and she too look somewhat alarmed. Larsa was slightly surprised to see Balthier standing beside her, not entirely expecting him to have come. Balthier winked at Larsa and he gave him a grim half smile back wondering if Balthier had any idea what might be going on today.

Larsa wasn't even entirely sure what was making him feel so on edge, it was just that, he felt there was something wrong. There was just no way the Senate would let this day go by and just give up the power they strived so hard to claim to a mere seventeen year old. Not to mention the fact that they have yet to show any signs of making move! The more they stayed still was the more Larsa felt he could not.

It was too late however as a pen was passed into his hands and every one of the Leaders were looking at him, waiting patiently for him to sign. Larsa hesitated and caught Rossi's eye and instantly felt the urge to throw the pen as far away from him as possible and call off the whole thing. Rossi looked smug. Completely content with the days progress, as if everything were going according to plan.

Larsa squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and took a deep breath. He had to sign, there was nothing he could do. If he didn't then only god he knows what could happen afterwords. Larsa opened his eyes and slowly lifted the pen to the thick paper of the Treaty and sign his name under the list of names signed on by the Heads of State around him.

Larsa sighed and placed the pen down, completely unsure of how he was to feel at the moment. One part of him was rejoicing that he now had the power to trample the Senate, while the next was still in great fear of what they might be planning in order to get that power from him.

The rest of day went by quite uneventfully however. Catherine had decided that she wanted a sunset wedding with the reception in the night under the stars. She wanted them to Honey Moon in Rossaria where she could take him around and show him her homeland like he'd shown her his. So far everything seemed to be going smoothly. His day was spent the day mingling with the other Heads of State, conversing and making plans for the future. Larsa was beginning to feel rather suffocated by the time noon rolled around and by the time six o'clock reached, he felt as if he was going to die and silently wondered if the Senate was planning to suffocate and starve him to death.

Larsa could hardly find sufficient words of gratitude however when Balthier, Fran, Basch and Ashe dragged him off to the side declaring that they needed to speak with their new king. "Ah...thank you Lady Ashe, Balthier. I don't think I'd have survived another talk of plans to meet and make plans with," he used his hands to make quotation mark signs. "Leaders of which country."

Balthier chuckled slightly and said, "No need to worry young King. I have good news for you." Larsa looked up sharply at Balthier and straightened up as he brushed imaginary dirt from his jacket. Larsa made a gesture for Balthier to go on and he smiled before saying, "Well, as you can clearly see I am here today," Larsa almost did a face fault and knitted his eye brows together, opening his mouth for what he hoped was a foul and angry response, but Balthier beat him to it. "on orders from a certain missing red-head."

Larsa felt his eyes widen and his heart very nearly sore right out of his chest. He stuttered for a moment and thus was beaten again by Basch this time. "You have spoken with Kira?"

"Yes. It was rather unexpected mind you. We'd run into a spot of trouble when she very nearly literally fell right into our lap."

"Is she alright?" Larsa asked quickly, hoping that she hadn't sustained any major injures from yesterday.

"After a fashion..." Balthier said, after which Fran quickly clarified for the poor young king.

"She is well in body, but I am afraid her mind may never let past events go."

"Although, I am sure she will be alright, she has sufficient distraction." Balthier said with a smile. "It is because of that distraction that we are here."

"We cannot discuss details here and now, but soon we ask you to aid us in our quest." Fran said majestically, almost making it seem as if this quest could alter the very fabric of time.

Larsa, Ashe and Basch all quirked an eyebrow at the two but hardly had time to question them as a bell sounded, signally to them that the wedding would begin shortly. Suddenly a handful of Larsa's handmaids arrived at his side and dragged him off to get him prepared for the wedding and Balthier, Fran, Basch and Ashe and watched in pity as the poor boy was dragged off against his will.

"Ah marriage, such a dreadful thing..." Balthier said as he shook his head and sighed dramatically. Ashe and Basch looked over at him and rolled their eyes. Ah how they missed him and his facetious dialogue.

Larsa stood by the altar, his robes fit for a King, which he was, his hair trimmed to perfection and pulled back away from his face by hardly noticable clips, his very aura the essence of perfection. Or at least, that was the image they were going for. However, how can he be the perfect groom if his mind isn't even there at the wedding.

Larsa hardly noticed the music as it played the classic "Here comes the Bride" tune, he hardly noticed the travelling echo of gasps behind him as people watched Catherine walk down the aisle, her father at her side. Larsa was hardly even aware of the stares women of all ages were giving him. All he was aware of was that one, Kira was a live and well somewhere and she needed his help, and two, his day seemed to have been going well. He was king of Archadia and ultimate ruler of the Galtean Alliance and nothing could stop him from dismantling the Senate now. What could they possibly do to take this away from him now? What options did they have but to bow down to him? What in all of Ivalice was behind that god damned smug expression on Rossi's face?

Just as Larsa was about to curse under his breath in an attempt to release some tension within, Catherine stepped up beside him and he very nearly fell off the altar. Never in his life had Larsa ever seen a more beautiful woman.

Larsa could not help himself as he stared at her. Her hair had been curled and tied up into a messy knot that left tendrils of auburn curls cascading down her back and over her shoulders to dangle above ample cleavage. Her dress was pure white silk, that left her shoulders and back bare and hugged her every curve down to her hips where it flared beautifully, little crystalline brioches pin here and there to keep the whole thing together as it flowed seamlessly around her and out onto the floor where the train reached back a good three feet as a dazzling array of pure white silk and sparkling crystal.

Catherine looked over at Larsa and smiled, and for the first time Larsa felt charmed by her, he felt that he could spend the rest of his life with her, just as long as she kept smiling at him like that. Larsa smiled back at and turned to the pastor as he began to ceremony.

The pastor spoke, read some scripture, lead them to sign the Marriage licence and then back to the alter where they recited their vows.

"Do you Catherine Rachel Rossaria, take this man, Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, to be your lawfully wedded husband?" His voice boomed across the alter so that it carried to every ear in the audience. Everyone was silent, an echoing, anxious silence as they awaited her reply.

"I do!" Catherine announced, her excitement bubbling over in her speech as her voice almost cracked, a wide smile full of pearly white teeth spread across her face displaying how truly happy she felt to be in her current position.

Larsa smiled warmly at her. She truly was a beautiful woman, and he should feel like the luckiest man in all of Ivalice, but somehow, he could bring the smile up into his eyes as his treacherous mind quite wondering back to a certain beautiful red-head.

"And do you, Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, take this woman, Catherine, Rachel Rossaria, to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Larsa glanced over at the pastor and found him smiling down at him, but that smile far from pleasant. It was almost threatening as if he were daring him to say 'no'. Larsa swallowed the thick saliva in his mouth and took a deep breath before he said, "...I do."

Larsa smiled as he watched Catherine's eyes blaze with the love and admiration she felt for him, he watched her smile beautifully and he could tell that she was just dieing to squeeze the living day lights out of him and kiss him to death.

Catherine looked over at the pastor with an air of urgency and he laughed before saying, "You may kiss the bride."

Catherine grinned widely, grabbed Larsa's hands and slowly began to lean forward. Larsa could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks but swallowed harshly and leaned forward as well. They both closed their eyes and ever so slowly moved closer and closer. Their lips were a hair's breath away, and Larsa could feel Catherine's slightly laboured breathing on her face, when suddenly he felt something hot and wet splash onto his face, then something sharp whizzed passed his cheek.

Larsa opened his eyes in shock and for a moment, Larsa honestly believed that his eyes were lieing to him. There was simply no way that what he was seeing could be the truth. There was no way that this could be happening.

Larsa stood there, shocked as he watched her, she was falling, the whole in her forehead gushing blood as the life left from her still smiling eyes. Larsa could not think anything passed the notion that his eyes were lieing to him, all he could hear, all he could feel, all he could see was the notion that this could not be true. Larsa's body reacted on its own as he caught her and gently laid her down on the ground. Larsa could not hear the chaos around him, he did not see the hoard of guards rushing towards him, he could not feel the cold evening breeze sweeping his hair over his shoulders, all he could see was Catherine lieing there, lifeless in his arms.

He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. He didn't want to understand! Larsa felt it raising within him and made no effort to suppress it as rivers flowed from his eyes and the roar of a wounded lion ripped free of his larynx.

He could hardly feel rough, armoured hands dragging him to his feet, he could just barely register their reasoning for dragging him away from his bride; "The hostiles could still be around," they said. He kicked and screamed, not understanding why they were trying to take her away from him. He felt as if he were in a parallel universe where nothing but he and Catherine existed, where no one should be allowed to interfere, where it was his duty to protect her, and he had failed.

Screamed and cried for Catherine, not understanding what was going on, why she was suddenly not alive, who could possibly even think of doing such a thing, why it had to be now of all times, why everything was finally going well, why when he was finally able to make her happy?

It was not until Larsa saw a handful of Rossi's men arresting Basch did he finally snap back into reality. Larsa could now hear the chaos around him, the screaming, the pushing and the kicking as people in the congregation rushed to get away from the alter, which was now splashed with blood, Catherine's blood. He could hear and see Catherine's father, King Theodor of Rossaria screaming for his child and attempting to climb onto the alter where numerous guards were trying hard to kept him tethered to the ground. He could properly see the wound in Catherine's head now and quickly devised that the shot had come in from an angle and judging by the slant of the cut it had made on his cheek it had come from above, most likely from up stairs where no trespassers were allowed. He glanced up at the balcony just hanging over the alter and saw no one and cursed loudly before he looked over at where Basch was being arrested and instantly knew that this was a set up. Basch couldn't have possibly been the one that shot Catherine, he was for one on ground level and two he stood a little ways behind the alter. A shot from that angle would not have produced the results Larsa could clearly see on both his and Catherine's bodies.

Larsa looked around and saw that the Senate was having Archadian soldiers usher everyone out of the chapel and away from the alter. They wanted no witnesses. He watched as they dragged King Theodor outside while he kicked and screamed for his daughter. Larsa watched grimly as Archadian doctors dragged Catherine's body off the alter and out of sight, her beautiful, white silk dress strained the colour of death, the white marble floor of the Alter wet and slippery with her blood.

Larsa surprised himself as both his heart and mind skipped over the mourning process and went straight to vengeance as his blood boiled, his temper raising to dangerous levels. He already knew who was responsible for this.

"Mi Lord please calm down! We must get you to a safe area! The assassin could still be here somewhere!" One of the guards trying to get him under control shouted and Larsa growled viciously before swivelling around to face him.

"The assassin is long gone and I don't give a damn about him! Get me Rossi NOW!" The guard looked like he was about to relieve himself right then and there as Larsa stared him down, despite being taller than the boy King in front of him.

Larsa turned around sharply as he heard one of the guards shout from across the alter. "Sir Rossi! You were right! We found the Assassin! It's the judge Magister Basch!" Larsa's shock propelled him forward through the crowd of guards around him to where a number of guards where now surrounding Judge Basch and trying hard to get Basch down to the ground.

"Lord Larsa! It was not I! I would never!" Basch shouted as he saw Larsa and grunted loudly when one of the guards kicked him hard in the stomach.

"Hey! Even if it was Judge Basch, he is still our superior you can't treat him like that!" one of the other guards said to the one that kicked him and was nearly knocked to the ground as well when Larsa finally decided to cut in.

"What do you think you are doing? Release him at once!" Larsa shouted, his voice harsh and demanding.

"But sir, Sir Rossi ordered us to arrest him! He could be the assassin!"

Larsa's expression must've been murders to make all the burly men in thick armour tremble and cower away from him. "And who is King here? I am King and I am ordering you to release him!"

"My my, what a treacherous King you are to be ordering the release of your Queen's murderer." Larsa swivelled around to face Rossi and felt the overwhelming urge to just strangle him right then and there.

"Judge Magister Basch has nothing to do with Catherine's murder and you know it!"

"Oh, do I? We found the murder weapon right by his feet only moments ago." Larsa looked around at Basch and saw one of the guards hold up a gun, the barrel still smoking. "Still hot when one of my men found it by his feet. Tell me Larsa, how does it feel to be betrayed by your most loyal servant?" Rossi's words were dripping with venom and Larsa felt a cold, sick chill run along his spine.

"The betrayer that I know of is no loyal servant of mine!" Larsa spat back at him with matching deadly venom. Larsa looked back at Basch and saw exactly what he was hoping to see in his eyes; anger, loathing and vengeance, all directed at Rossi, as was his own.

Rossi smirked at him and said, "Well then, now that we are in agreement I must ask you Lord Larsa to depart for the castle. I would feel so much better knowing that you are safe within the castle walls, away from this heathen."

"I am not leaving until Basch's name is cleared! Catherine's real murderer is found!" Larsa spat, very nearly adding that he strongly believe that the murderer was standing right in front of him.

"Lord Larsa, I am giving you safe passage, gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Rossi said menacingly.

"I am as safe in your hands as an antelope in the lion's den. I have nothing to be gratuitous about." Larsa was straining to keep his self control, not simply blow up and attack Rossi.

"Your words wound me young King. I am after ally our humble servant." Rossi said with a bow. Larsa grimaced and was about to demand that he release Basch once again when Rossi continued. "Although, you must be some what relieved Lord Larsa, now that the Lady Catherine is out of your way, you may finally fuck you sweet street-rat lover." Larsa had never felt so compelled to hurt someone in his life as a fire flared inside of him, Rossi's words only adding fuel to the blaze. "I'll bet you don't even care if the killer is found. All you want is the power of being King and a sweet ass to pet!" Larsa was so angry he could hardly speak. "You are just like me Larsa. You want nothing but power! You don't care about the people of Ivalice, you never have1 All that talk was just for show so that you could be King of the Galtean Alliance! You only agreed to marry the Princess of Rossaria so that you could gain power! You don't give a shit about anyone but yourself! You and I are no differe..."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP ROSSI! You lieing, evil, pompous bastard! You're the one that killed Catherine! You're the one that set this whole thing up! You're the one that's greedy for power! You'll do anything to have your way! You don't care how many have to die! You're the selfish one! You're the one that only cares about himself!"

There was a long pause, a deadly quick that passed over the entire alter where only a few of the Head's of State were left including Balthier, Ashe and Fran, and a few guards as well as Rossi, the rest of the Senate Larsa and Basch.

Larsa was breathing heavily, his face flushed, the cut on his cheek bleeding profusely due to the rush of blood running through his face. He had never felt so enraged in his life. He'd never felt so...so murderous. Never had he even thought of murder as a solution but right now he nothing more than to take some sharp object and drive it straight through Rossi's heart, if he even has one.

But as Larsa was trying hard to keep himself from doing something extremely stupid, Rossi seemed to believe that he already had done something extremely stupid as he suddenly began to chuckled, then it grew into a laugh and then a roaring chorus of laughter erupted around them as the rest of the Senate members began to laugh as well.

"Oh dear young King, how much I love thee!" Rossi said through giggles as he wiped laughter tears from his eyes. Larsa stared incredulously at him and the rest of the senate members and hardly opened his mouth before Rossi shouted, "Arrest him!"

"Excuse me?" Larsa said shocked as he watched his own men gang up on him and drag him down to his knees, knocking his crown off his head and onto the floor a good ways away from him. He watched it roll away from him and grimaced as he glared up at Rossi.

"Larsa!" Ashe shouted and was about to move forward to help him when Balthier held her back.

"No, if you interfere they will only take you as well. Let us just observe for now."

"How can you say that? What if they plan to kill him?"

"They wont kill him yet. They'll need him to find Kira."

"What...?"

"Shh!"

"What is the meaning of this Rossi?" Larsa shouted as the guards struggled to get Larsa's hands tied behind his back. They were underestimating his strength and were forced to call in two more guards to force him flat on the ground before they could properly secure his hands. Larsa looked over at Basch where he too was being forced to the ground as he began to struggle even more at the sight of his King being apprehended.

"You, King Solidor," He said stressing his title as he slowly reached inside his robes for a piece of paper. "have broken the law."

Larsa furrowed his brow and groaned as he felt a sharp pain in his back as they pressed him further into the ground, preventing any movement what so ever as he struggled against their hold. "What law?"

Rossi smirked down at him and unfolded the paper and began to read. "If any man, woman or child, whether he be pheasant or King, accuses the Senate of any form of wrong doing he is to be arrested and stripped of all power and status. This crime is punishable by death."

Larsa eyes widened and he struggled even more, feeling the bruises all over his body developing faster as they pressed him hard onto the cold, blood stained alter. "There is no such law! What rubbish is this you spit at me Rossi?" Larsa shouted, his voice cracking under the pressure as the wind was squeezed out of his lungs.

"Oh this is not rubbish my dear King, this law was instated only yesterday and is now being put into effect. And since you are no longer King, according to the law..." Rossi said with a malicious grin spread across his face, "That means that I am forced to take up the mantle," Rossi said as he picked up Larsa's fallen crown and placed it gingerly on his head, "and be King in your stead! I am now ruler of all Archadia and of all Ivalice!"

"We need to go...now!" Balthier said urgently to Ashe and Fran as he noticed an Archadian soldier speaking with one of the Senate members as Rossi began laughing his head of like the power drunk crazy bastard that he was. Soon after a hoard of soldiers began to close in on them, no doubt Rossi didn't want any witnesses that could possibly compromise him later on.

Balthier, grabbed Fran and Ashe and used a teleport stone Kira had given him which enhanced the power of the magic to teleport them to any teleport crystal from anywhere in Ivalice, teleport crystal or not.

"Mi Lord they got away!" One of the solider shouted through the haze of myst left over from the powerful magic.

"Oh no need to worry. I'll deal with them later. As for you, former King..." Rossi said maliciously as he lifted Larsa's face to look up at him with his foot, which Larsa shook off while glaring daggers at Rossi. Rossi grimaced and turned to his commanding officer and said, "Take them to the dungeons."

Larsa felt as he had never felt before. Larsa struggled against his handlers as they dragged him away from the alter, away from Rossi as he stood there, basking in what he must've called glory, but only resembled cowardice and dishonesty to Larsa. Larsa wanted nothing more than to just scream. Everything had gone wrong, nothing was right in the world any more.

Larsa wanted nothing more than to just scream, and so, scream he did. It was a guttural and savage sound full of rage, vengeance and sorrow that ripped through the air and echoed off the walls of the chapel, startling the few occupants left. How...how could he have let this happen?

OoOoO

To be Continued...