Title: The Price of Honor
Author: Seph
Series: Final Fantasy XII
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy XII and all other related characters, events, etc. do not belong to me.
Summary: 5 years after the defeat of his brother, Lord Larsa Solidor will finally be crowned as Emperor of Archades—or so he should be. However, the only thing which is preventing him from accepting the crown involves one person... the same person who has sworn to protect him, Lord Larsa, as the rightful heir to the throne of Archades. [Gabranth x Larsa
Overall Story Notes: (minor spoilers) The story is about Gabranth and Larsa so in my story, Gabranth DID NOT die in the end of the game. :)
Timeline: Story is generally post-game, but there are many instances of flashbacks concerning the in-game events.
Chapter Notes: Chapter III simply continues from where Chapter II left off.
Chapter III
Larsa smoothed out the wrinkles on the front of his tunic and turned to see Gabranth staring absently at his helmet. "I'll not have you wearing that tonight Gabranth." The boy's voice seemed to pull the Judge out of his stupor and the blond turned to present a small smile to the Solidor heir. "Aye, then… shall we begin?"
What Gabranth had thought to be the easy task of teaching Lord Larsa how to dance a simple court waltz turned out to be a much more difficult task than he expected. For one thing, the Solidor heir was so self-conscious and was entirely convinced that Gabranth thought him a fool that Larsa could not bring himself to try at all!
"My lord if you will but follow my example…" Gabranth tried his best to put the young lord at ease, however, it only took about three minutes for each attempt before Larsa would shy away again saying, "You really do think I look foolish in this affair! You do not say so, but your eyes do tell!"
Of course the Judge Magister thought of no such thing and tried to tell Larsa so, but the Solidor heir would not hear any of it. "Is there something I could do that would put you at ease my lord?" Gabranth asked as he rubbed his aching temples.
"If you would not look at me so… then perhaps I could dance better…" came the sheepish reply from Larsa who had taken a seat on the edge of his bed.
"But how can I teach you if I cannot see you my lord?" Gabranth stood beside the bed and looked down at the boy.
Larsa swung his legs absently as he toyed with the hem of Gabranth's cape. "Perhaps if we turned off the lights… then you would not see me as much—and I would not see you as much either… then perhaps I would do better."
And so the lights were turned off and the curtains drawn so that only a patch of moonlight lay pooled on the carpet by the foot of Larsa's bed.
"Now, from where we left off… rest your left hand on the small of your partner's back, and use the other hand to hold your partner's hand like so…" Gabranth demonstrated the form with his imaginary partner and gave a nod of approval as Larsa was able to do the same without retreating to a dark corner of the room. "Very good my lord… now, move your right foot to the side followed by the left—then slightly tiptoe on your left foot. Try counting along to make it easier… there, one two three—one two—uhm, let's take it slower then. Now, ooooone----- twoooooo----- threeee… slower perhaps?"
Larsa started out fine, but the foot work confused him—and the counting only aggravated matters! Ashamed at his failure to follow the steps which Gabranth seemed to perform with such ease, Larsa stopped 'dancing' with his imaginary partner and returned to his spot on his bed. "It is a lost cause Gabranth... a waste of time. You may retire if you wish—there is nothing more to be done here." With that, the young lord kicked of his shoes and rolled over on the covers of his huge four poster bed—with his back turned to the knight who had then stopped 'dancing'.
"My lord—"
"It is no fault of yours Gabranth… go—rest! I will be fine."
As much as it pained Gabranth to leave Larsa as he was then, he had little choice—it was an order, one he was bound to obey. "Then, I shall take my leave. Good night my lord… may you sleep well." Gabranth picked up his helmet from the table where he had left it earlier and walked towards the outer room—but a soft sound stopped him in his tracks. Slowly he walked back to Larsa's bedside and listened as a series of muffled sobs escaped the silken pillow the boy had covered his face with.
After much consideration, Gabranth decided against his better judgment and put down his helmet on the bedside table. The metallic sound caused Larsa's sobs to cease—or at least he had wanted to stop his sobbing, but could not. "Go! Why won't you let me be… Can you not see I am humiliated enough as is?! And now you insist upon watching me as I weep here like a child…" Gabranth could barely understand Larsa's muffled words through the pillow that he had to lean closer to actually make out at least some of the words.
When the Judge had heard enough self-depreciating comments from the boy, he grabbed hold of the pillow and tried to pull it away from Larsa while scolding him at the same time, "That is quite enough wallowing in self-pity my lord…" Larsa tightened his arms around the pillow and sobbed through it, "You've no idea what it feels like… to be made a fool of…"
"No one is making a fool of you my lord… there is no one here but you and myself—and I make no fool of you." Gabranth took a seat beside Larsa who had curled up into a fetal position, with the pillow still pressed against his face—a few sobs still escaped him. "Do you wish to try again?"
The young lord shook his head vigorously, intent on simply giving up the whole affair—his brother could do well enough without him tomorrow evening. "No, I do not wish so…"
Gabranth sighed… no matter how mature and well-learned Lord Larsa was for his years—he was still just a child. Just a child. "Would it make any difference my lord… If I asked you to dance?" Again, the Solidor heir shook his head almost violently. "No no no… how many times would you make me repeat myself Gabranth?!"
With a slightly amused grin, Gabranth leaned closer to the curled figure and whispered, "You misunderstand me young master, I am not asking if you would like to try again—I am asking if you would dance with me… as my partner."
Author's Note: I was supposed to cut the chapter here, but decided to just continue it—thus taking it longer for me to finish the whole. I hope you guys like it anyway. Hee. :P
As the knight expected, Larsa's sobs ceased and his small frame stiffened noticeably. Gabranth took this chance to remove the offending pillow from the young lord's grasp. Larsa allowed the Judge to cast the pillow away, but instinctively turned away to hide his tear-stained face. "If I agree… would you spare me from continuing that horrid affair of pretend-dancing?"
"Certainly my lord."
Satisfied, Larsa rolled over to face his Judge protector— and even though it was dark inside, Gabranth did not fail to notice the swollen eyes and slightly flushed cheeks which the young lord had tried to hide. Larsa cocked his head to one side as he regarded the Judge. Was it him… or was Gabranth—staring? "What is it Gabranth? Why do you stare at me so?"
Gabranth realized too late that he had been staring and found himself looking straight into cobalt eyes—wide and curious. Caught off-guard, the blonde opened his mouth to speak but no words came to him which flustered Gabranth even more. Undeniably embarrassed, the Judge could only look away from the guileless eyes which threatened to strip him of all self-control if the night did not end any sooner.
"Does my presence bother you Gabranth?" Larsa teased by throwing the same question Gabranth had asked him earlier that day. The young lord all but draped himself unto Gabranth's armor as he tried desperately to take a look at his protector's face. It was such a rare occurrence for Gabranth to remove his helmet—and even rarer, for him to actually lose his composure as he did then.
Gabranth took a deep breath and stood up from Larsa's bed, determined to finish the task at hand. "No my lord—it is always an honor for me to be in your presence." The onyx-haired boy frowned—Gabranth had regained his stiff demeanor and was back to his usual self. Larsa could only nod mutely, unable to mask his dismay.
His frown was quickly replaced by a gasp of surprise as a large gloved hand took possession of one of his own and an arm wound itself snugly around his small waist. "Gabranth—this is—uhm… this is quite—" Larsa tried hard to come up with a retort at being held the way he was (which in his mind he knew was absolutely improper) but he let it die in his mouth as soon as the older man lifted him off the bed and lowered unto the carpeted floor.
Gabranth was much too tall to hold the young lord as he would an adult dance partner, so he removed his arm from Larsa's waist and simply let it rest lightly on the boy's back while he continued to hold on to the small hand which was nestled in his much larger one. The blond took a deep breath before looking down at the young lord who felt as if he was frozen stiff in the Judge magister's arms.
"My lord… are you alright?"
Larsa nodded sheepishly—purposefully keeping his head bowed to avoid eye contact with the older man. The young lord felt a strange tingling feeling growing from where Gabranth rested his hand on his back—that and the brush of cool metal of the knight's breastplate against his uncharacteristically hot cheek made Larsa shiver slightly.
"Very well then… let us begin." Without another word, Gabranth began to dance the slow, sweeping steps of a waltz—carefully coaxing the young lord to follow by squeezing the small hand gently. The knight was pleasantly surprised as Larsa followed his lead almost perfectly. "You are doing very well my lord." Though Larsa did not reply to the compliment, Gabranth could not help but smile at the sight of the boy's cheeks flushing crimson.
For a moment, nothing could be heard in the room except for the light foot falls of Gabranth and Larsa as they continued their silent waltz—Gabranth leading, Larsa following. The young lord was barely aware that they were actually dancing—all he could think about was his Judge Protector's hands on his back, on his hand, around his waist… Larsa shook his head—embarrassed at the thoughts he had begun to harbor. If that wasn't dreadful enough, just when he dared to take a quick upward glance at Gabranth—Larsa found the knight looking right back at him… something which made him turn to an even deeper shade of crimson if that was even possible at that point!
"You—I… I---You… y-y-you dance quite well Gabranth." Larsa looked away and pretended to be more concerned with his dancing rather than the matter at hand… the other matters at hand.
"Aa… the same can be said for you my lord." The knight unconsciously ran his hand up the boy's back.
"Y-yes—I mean no! N-no!" Larsa nearly whimpered as a gloved hand rested on his pale nape—making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
"No…?" Gabranth mused, fingers tracing tiny circles on milky skin. A small smile formed on the judge's lips as he felt the small hand tighten its hold on his own.
"N-no." Larsa bit his lower lip to stop it from quivering. "It is you who is dancing Gabranth… I am merely following your lead. If only it could be just like this tomorrow evening…" The young lord sighed audibly as he leant his head against the judge's armor.
"You will do wonderfully tomorrow my lord I assure you." And with much reluctance, Gabranth pulled his hand away from where it rested to make a sweeping bow to his young partner to signify the end of the waltz.
Larsa bowed awkwardly—unsure if he should bow or curtsy since he had portrayed the 'woman' during the waltz. "If you were there Gabranth—then maybe I'd not make too big a fool of myself at the banquet." The young lord felt embarrassed at his childish request but he asked it nonetheless… he wanted—no, needed Gabranth to be there otherwise, he feared that he would absolutely flounder and humiliate himself and his brother as well!
The judge magister laughed softly at the Solidor heir's request, not because it was childish but because Larsa did not have to ask it of him. Gabranth was Larsa's judge protector—whether the boy asked him of him or not, he would be there to ensure the young lord's safety.
"You think me foolish again, don't you Gabranth?" Larsa turned to the blonde indignantly—though he did it half-heartedly. Larsa knew that the knight would never think that of him… or if ever he did, Gabranth certainly would not admit it.
"Not at all my lord… I found you quite—endearing during tonight's affair." The judge mentally reprimanded himself for letting such a thought slip. Endearing?! Only a knight denied of all sense and honor would dare call his lord endearing! Gabranth was just about to take back what he said but Larsa was quick to reply. "Endearing? I did not expect such a… such a word from you Gabranth… but I am flattered—and glad that you thought me to be so… if only for tonight." The last words of his sentence was almost inaudible, but Gabranth heard it… he even caught the small sigh which came after.
The knight squeezed the small hand again before he finally let it go. "It is late. It is best that you prepare for bed now my lord." The young boy merely nodded as he accompanied Gabranth to the outer room of his chambers. An awkward silence fell over them as the blonde stood by the heavy oaken doors which lead to the corridors, standing stiff with his helmet under his arm.
"Thank you Gabranth… for teaching me how to dance." Larsa tried his best to smile but for some reason he could not bring himself to do it.
"It has been a great pleasure my lord." The judge gave a low bow before he turned one of the golden knobs and pushed open one of the massive doors.
Gabranth had not walked two steps when Larsa caught hold of his cape and pulled at it insistently.
"W-wait!"
Surprised as he was, the judge was able to keep a straight face as he turned to the young lord. "Yes my lord?"
"Gabranth… if you would—I mean… if you like—wish… if you wish to come again to my chambers—I would be glad to have you." Larsa bowed his head—silently wishing that his judge protector would fail notice the healthy pink color of his cheeks.
For a moment, Gabranth was stunned at what he had just heard. To simply step into the young lord's chambers already made the knight feel like he was gravely out of line—to see Lord Larsa on his bed made the blonde's blood boil to the point of obscenity and utmost dishonor! Surely, to want to do it again would be undeniably irreverent! Again Gabranth was at a loss… he silently wished to curse the fates for toying with him like this—but at the same time he wished to thank them as well.
The blonde looked at the helmet he held and sighed. A Judge Magister… that was what he was… that was the only thing he will ever be to the young lord.
"Gabranth?" In the silence of the night, Larsa's voice sounded faint. The young lord suddenly felt absolutely foolish for having asked such a thing from a knight of his—a soldier—a judge magister. "Forgive me… it was a fooli—"
"I would be honored if you would have me visit again my lord." Gabranth interrupted before Larsa could take back his invitation—something which put a smile upon the young lord's lips.
"And I certainly would Gabranth."
Gabranth bowed at the Solidor heir once more. "Good night then young master… and about your request earlier—I would be glad to accompany you to the banquet my lord."
Larsa smiled broadly at this and all but chimed at the knight, "I thank you dearly for my part and for my brother's as well! Good night Gabranth—may you sleep peacefully this night."
The judge nodded and turned to walk into the inky darkness of the corridor. Gabranth could only shake his head in despair. He highly doubted that he would sleep peacefully that night… or the night after—not after what happened in the young lord's chambers; that ensured the loss of at least a week's respite. The blonde took a deep breath to clear his head.
This night had not been a lesson on dancing.
This night had been a lesson on self control—
And by the gods… Gabranth was absolutely exhausted.
TBC(?)
First and foremost, I want to thank those who reviewed!! You guys absolutely saved my story:) I really, really appreciate the nice feedback and it absolutely inspired me to continue it!
I also want to apologize profusely for being so late in putting up this chapter. School just begun mid-June and it quickly ate up my time! However, I was still able to make this chapter! Yay:)
It's kind of long since I made the first part of the chapter before classes begun and only finished the rest recently! Well… I guess you guys don't need me to say that I'm officially continuing this story (for now)!
It's not going to turn into a 5-7 part story… I just know it! Haha. :P So much for foresight. Anyway, to all my first reviewers I dedicate this chapter to all of you:) -Hugs!!- Please enjoy The Price of Honor chapter III. :)
Seph