THE PRICE OF HONOR
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy XII and all other related characters, events, etc. do not belong to me.
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. :)
Chapter Notes: Chapter 8 happens after the party's escape from the Dreadnought Leviathan which sunk along with the 8th fleet of the Archadian Imperial Army.
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"The Rozarrian Empire assembles a vast host under guise of martial exercises. It is our belief they wait for the proper pretest... the sooner to make their strike against Archadia. The loss of the Leviathan and her fleet at such a time comes as a most grievous blow. Were Rozarria to invade, that battle would be hard-fought. Had Lord Vayne not deployed the fleet so conspicuously... we would not now find ourselves in such perilous circumstances."
A senate member raised his voice over the council, pointing out the damage the Archadian Empire sustained at the loss of the 8th fleet of the Imperial Army in the battle in Jagd, along with its flagship, the Dreadnought Leviathan. Another senate member concurred with the former's distress over the situation.
"Lord Vayne shall be made to answer for his actions. It is the will of the Senate. Excellency, though he be your son, justice must be served."
The Emperor Gramis shook his head and rested it against his palm. "A convenient thing, justice. And so I must now make a choice... between my throne, and my son."
Another member of the senate put a hand on his chest in what clearly appeared to be false sympathy. "A most lamentable situation for us all."
"Oh? For Lord Vayne, perhaps, yet surely Lord Larsa will make for a fine emperor." Another suggested knowingly.
At the mention of his youngest son's name, Emperor Gramis raised his head, a frown clearly drawn thin on his lips. "Larsa so adores his brother, and he is yet young."
"But he will not remain young forever. Already he busies himself unravelling Lord Vayne's tangled skein. Lord Larsa has found his role to play, and pursues it with some enthusiasm.
"Ah, yes... and who would set him at such tasks?" The Emperor did his best to keep the sarcasm at bay, his obvious disdain for the Senate dripping from his words.
"What matter? Lord Vayne himself once saw his elder brothers brought to like justice, did he not? At your Excellency's behest, as I recall." A senate member replied slyly, menace lacing his voice like poison.
Emperor Gramis began to cough heavily, leaning on his desk for support.
The senate member who had been speaking continued, his tone—ominous. "You may put yourself at ease, Lord Gramis. So long as the Senate watches over her... Archadia's well-being will ever be ensured."
Emperor Gramis turned his head away, the very sight of the Senate filled him with contempt. "By your will. I shall bid Vayne's return to Archades."
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Meanwhile in Jahara—Land of the Garif...
The party had encountered Lord Larsa earlier that day in Jahara and the young lord quickly engaged the lady Ashe in what seemed to be a serious conversation.
"To Bur-Omisace?" Ashe voiced her surprise at the Solidor heir's suggestion.
"I say we ought to leave tomorrow. I was going to wait for my escort, but meeting you presents a great opportunity. This terrible war can be stopped, but I will need your help to do so." Larsa continued, his voice revealing his already apparent eagerness and conviction.
Ashe frowned. "A war?"
"You know the Marquis Ondore leads a group of insurgents—your pardon." Larsa cleared his throat to dispel his sensitive mistake. "He leads a large resistance force against the Empire. Lady Ashe, neither of our countries can afford this now. The Rozarrian Empire would stir. They would aid the resistance and use this aid as a pretext to declare war on Archadia... and Archadia would have no choice but to answer. Lady Ashe, let us go to Bur-Omisace. With the blessing of his grace, the Gran Kiltias Anastasis, you may rightly wear your crown, and declare the restoration of the Kingdom of Dalmasca. As queen, you can call for peace between the Empire and Dalmasca... and stop Marquis Ondore." The young lord looked intently at Ashe, his face wore an expression which seemed inappropriate for one so young.
Ashe shook her head, hands clenched into fists. "For peace? How dare you say that! The Empire attacked us, stole all we hold dear... and you would have me save them from war?" Ashe's anger seethed in her words as her slender frame shook with emotion.
"Dalmasca would be the battlefield! What if Nethicite were used on Rabanastre? You know my brother would do this!" Larsa cheeks flushed with emotion as he beseeched Ashe, but the lady was too angry or too stubborn to listen that she only gave the Solidor heir a sharp look of derision before storming off without another word.
Larsa watched as Ashe's back disappeared into one of the few tents in the village, then he sighed audibly, his shoulders slumping slightly—he had thought the conversation would go smoother than it had. A large hand clapped him on the shoulder and the young lord looked up to a familiar face. "Basch..."
"Give the lady some time, she has gone through so much... I am certain that when she has given it some thought, the lady Ashe will see that you meant well, Lamont." Basch squeezed the small shoulder and smiled at the boy. Larsa felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment that he had to look away from eerily similar cobalt eyes, "M-my name is Larsa... Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, fourth son to the Emperor Gramis of Archadia."
The captain broke out into a hearty laugh, retaining his hold on Larsa's shoulder. "I am well aware my lord, I just wished to hear it from your own lips."
A blush rose to the Solidor's cheeks and he bowed his head to hide it. There was something about the way Basch had spoken the words "my lord" that pulled at his chest—the captain had sounded so much like Gabranth, and yet so unlike him at the same time. Basch had an aura about him that made Larsa uncharacteristically nervous, the sort that made his toes curl in his boots and always made him want to bite his lip and look away. The young lord could not understand it, it was not because he disliked the captain, in fact he had taken quite a liking to him—as to why he was so restless around the man, Larsa did not know.
"I do hope I have not distressed you so with my teasing, Lord Larsa." Basch brushed wayward ebony strands from the Solidor's face which made the boy blush in an even brighter rose. Larsa shook his head nervously, letting his hair cover his face again—to retain whatever shame he had left around the older man. "N-no, of course not. I do appreciate your good humour, very much so actually."
A smile tugged at Basch's lips, it amused him how Larsa could hold his own in a mature conversation yet still be painfully shy around him. "Then perhaps you would not mind engaging me in conversation? It is best to get to know each other better as we will be spending quite a bit of time together—with the others of course." Larsa nodded mutely and let himself be led to the campsite where Vaan had already started piling firewood.
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Ashe walked slowly towards the fire where her friends and the Solidor heir were gathered round, the sound of laughter ringing through the night. Larsa saw her first and he immediately excused himself from the group and approached the lady, a serious expression on his boyish face. "Forgive me, I presumed over much. I could think of no other way to avoid bloodshed. If you cannot trust me, then please, take me as your hostage."
Ashe did her best to hide her surprise, the conviction in the young lord's voice convinced her that she was doing the right thing. "I will accompany you to Mt. Bur-Omisace."
"I had hoped you'd say yes. I am glad." Larsa smiled.
"My heart is not set. I still have questions. I hope to find answers along the way."
"I had other reasons to invite you. There's someone I'd like you to meet waiting on Bur-Omisace."
Ashe suddenly looked wary. "Who is that?"
"An enemy, and an ally also. You will just have to wait and see for yourself." Larsa quipped, crossing a bridge and disappearing from sight.
Just then, Vaan walked over to Ashe and placed a hand on his hip. "That Larsa likes his secrets." Ashe broke into a small smile. "He does not mean ill by it." The younger boy shrugged his shoulders as he walked back to the campfire, hollering as he went. "He's not bad. At least for an Imperial."
Back at the campfire, Basch, Balthier and Fran were engaged in a serious discussion about which route was most practical to take going to Mt. Bur-Omisace. "Holy Mt. Bur-Omisace stands at the northern end of the Jagd. Ramooda. Once we're in Jagd, we need not fear pursuit by their airships." The captain looked to the sky pirate for approval, but Balthier shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up. You remember the Leviathan sailed straight over the Jagd Yensa, right up to Raithwall's tomb. Skystone that works even in Jagd. You know Nethicite's behind it. Little wonder they're so keen on the stuff."
The captain looked to Balthier, his expression unreadable—almost. "And what is it you're after, Balthier? You're a welcome hand, and a great aid, but why?"
The sky pirate smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye as he looked back squarely at Basch. "Worried I'm out to steal the Nethicite, eh? Can't say I'm unaccustomed to people doubting my intentions. Nothing could be further from my mind. Shall I swear by your sword or some such?"
The captain smiled as he relaxed, leaning against a log. "Apologies. But I needed to know where you stand. Her majesty depends on you and you seemed to have an interest in the stone." Balthier reclined in much the same manner before tossing a blanket at the blonde. "I'm only here to see how the story unfolds. Any self-respecting leading man would do the same." The sky pirate then turned to give Basch a knowing look. "You, my good friend, on the other hand—seem to have taken an interest in the boy."
Basch raised his brows at Balthier and gave a soft chuckle. "He is less than half my age Balthier, and son to the Emperor of Archadia—"
"Indeed. He is a beautiful boy, I would not put it past me to take an interest in that Larsa fellow—but you, I would never have imagined had I not seen it with my own two eyes, captain." The sky pirate emphasized his last word by raising his own brows in mock surprise.
Basch shook his head and began to prepare his make-shift bed on the ground. "You, Balthier, are impossible." Balthier stopped as he heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the bridge, then he smiled his devilish smirk at the captain. "100 gil, to prove that what I am saying is indeed, very possible." Basch opened his mouth to protest but Balthier continued, "Do not worry captain, your interest is not at all ignored—and might I say, not at all unrequited."
"Balthier!" Basch hissed under his breath, so as not to alert the approaching members of the party from hearing their conversation. "Come now Basch, Fran said so... and no one knows men better than Fran does—have faith!" The sky pirate finished preparing his own make-shift mattress for the night and he laid on it, pulling his blanket over his shoulders.
"That is not my point! And for the most part, Fran is a Viera!"
Fran's pointed ears twitched slightly at the mention of her name. She looked at Balthier then at Basch, but said nothing before she closed her eyes again, not moving from her leaning position against the log.
"That is exactly my point!" Balthier hissed back as he pulled his blanket higher till it covered half of his face. The voices of their other friends could be heard clearly then. "100 gil captain, tonight I prove my point." The sky pirate slid his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep as the rest of the group finally reached the campfire.
"Vaan, I'm tired—I think I'm going to go make my bed next to Fran, I'm just about ready to fall asleep on my feet!" Penelo called to the others as she dug in her pack for her own blankets, tossing a couple to Vaan. "Lady Ashe, it would be best for you to get some rest too—we have a long journey ahead of us."
"Don't be such a mother Penelo, I'm sure Ashe can take care of herself—she's older than you! And don't mother me either, I'm not a kid anymore!" Vaan whined but accepted the blankets and offered one to Ashe who took it with a smile and a nod to express her gratitude.
"Well if you stopped acting like one, maybe I'd stop treating you like one." Penelo quipped as he finished making her own bed and plopped down unceremoniously on it. "Now go to bed you brat. Goodnight Lady Ashe, rest well."
Vaan grumbled as he made his own bed and Ashe couldn't help a small laugh at the cute display between them. Larsa also laughed softly at the exchange between the two, but when everyone had settled, he felt a sudden twinge of loneliness in his chest. Everyone seemed to be such good friends in this party, and the young lord felt more than a little out of place as he stood there—suddenly awkward and alone.
Larsa pulled his arms around himself as he sat against Fran's log, pulling his knees to his chest to keep warm in the cool night. Because he had insisted in not waiting for his escort, he had gone ahead with Ashe and her party without any supplies of his own—Larsa secretly wished he had gotten at least a blanket. However, the night was unusually cold and the fire alone could not keep him warm. Swallowing his pride, Larsa reached out to shake the one person he was slightly familiar with. "Basch...?"
The captain opened his eyes, he was not really asleep—it was hard to fall asleep after allowing the sky pirate to poison one's mind. Sleepy blue eyes rested on Larsa's crouched form before they widened in slight surprise. "Lord Larsa? Is there something I might aid you with?"
Larsa looked at a non-existent spot on the dirt beneath them as he struggled to find the most appropriate words in such a situation. "Basch, it seems that I may have... forgotten my provisions and I—I'm cold and devoid of any blankets on which I may rest and keep warm... and so I was wondering... if—if perhaps you—we—I could..."
The captain smiled and moved to the side, lifting the blanket to make room for the young lord. "I would be honoured." Larsa felt the same nervousness he had always felt around Basch multiply ten-fold as he pulled off his boots and shyly crawled to the new space offered to him. Larsa curled up and unconsciously pressed himself close to the captain's chest, taking comfort in the sound of the man's steady heartbeat. The cold quickly left the young lord's body and he felt his toes curl as strong arms pulled him closer, enclosing him in comforting warmth. The feeling felt strangely familiar, and for Larsa—it felt like home.
"Are you certain that it is alright for you to travel without your cortege?" Basch tried to ease the boy's apparent tension by talking to him. Larsa looked up at him shyly, "They have grown used to my running off, though I am not certain if they will take it lightly this time. And I am in good hands am I not? Vaan said so himself back in the Lhusu Mines." The captain let out a small laugh. "Indeed you are my lord. Now sleep, you will need your rest for our journey tomorrow." Larsa nodded and easily slipped into a peaceful slumber.
Basch carefully drew the boy closer to him, rationalizing that they could conserve body heat better in that manner, and he settled back down on his make-shift bed. As he pulled up the blanket over his shoulder, he caught Balthier's eyes with his own. The sky pirate's lips moved without a sound as if mouthing something. Basch squinted in the dim light of the fire to make out what Balthier was trying to say.
"One-hundred-gil-in-the-morning-captain."
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"The Senate may play at intrigue, but Lord Vayne will not be brought down easily, the entire military waits upon his orders, from the war council to the rank and file. What better blade than he to strike down the enemies of the Empire?" Judge Zargabaath mused, ignoring Judge Drace's visible agitation.
Drace shook her head in earnest, "Your honor reminds me of Zecht two years since. He, too, put his trust in Lord Vayne's strength, and what became of him? Gone without a trace since Nabudis!"
"I will not hear you malign Judge Zecht! He was a noble warrior! Or... do you think his trust in Lord Vayne ill-placed?" Zargabaath's voice lowered to nothing more than a whisper, but Drace heard it all too well.
"Vayne took two of his own brothers' lives. He is ruthless beyond contempt."
"Ruthless, you say? Would he were more so! He gives traitors no quarter, be they of his own blood! How fitting for one who would bear the burden of the Empire!"
Drace rested her head on her open palm, shoulders slumping to show her despair. "But could we bear him? Zargabaath, what of you? Surely you do not believe... his brothers were traitors."
Zargabaath paced the room, avoiding meeting the female judge's eyes. "So found his Excellency, Lord Gramis. You would do well to mind your tongue, Drace. That matter is long past."
Before Drace could reply, another Judge Magister entered the room abruptly. "Your honors, a summons! Lord Vayne has arrived at the palace." Gabranth nodded to both Zargabaath and Drace.
"We come at once." Zargabaath's reply was clipped as he wore his helm and briskly walked out of the room. Drace gave Gabranth a meaningful look as she tucked her helmet under an arm, a sign that she wished to talk with him. The two Judge Magisters followed Zargabaath in a much slower pace.
"Lord Larsa has left for Bur-Omisace. He hopes to enlist the aid of the Gran Kiltias in stopping the insurgents. I doubt this will be enough to deter Ondore... but even a slight hindrance to his operations would be welcome. This will delay the Rozarrian invasion... and we will have bought much-needed time to shore up our defenses."
Gabranth nodded thoughtfully. "Just as his Excellency had hoped."
"No matter the result, I am pleased with the young lord's progress. I can already see the stunned faces of those mid-witted Senators. The fools think a child Emperor's strings easy to pull from the shadows... but they will find that Lord Larsa is no puppet."
"Yes. The Senators would be most pleased with a puppet for an emperor. Recall, Drace, how the Senate fears and despises Lord Vayne's ability? When they realize the truth, that Lord Larsa is no docile lamb to be shepherded... they will bare their teeth and devour him." Gabranth steeled his voice, preventing the anger he felt from seeping into his words.
Judge Drace wore her helm as they approached the Emperor's receiving chambers. "You're right. I shall speak on this matter with his Excellency at once. Gabranth, it falls to us to protect Lord Larsa—are we agreed?"
"Aye."
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"This crisis would not end were I gone. The Senate hates the very fact that House Solidor exists. By necessity, we must find reason to silence them." Vayne paced the room as he spoke to his father, his tone low but firm.
The Emperor raised his eyes to meet his son's own, "Necessity? Ah yes, necessity. Does that word free you, I wonder? You show no hesitation to solve matters with blood."
"The sword of House Solidor cannot be left to rust in doubt. It was you, Excellency, who tempered that sword."
Emperor Gramis shook his head, too long has he not seen what lies in his older son's heart. "Is this your idea of vengeance?"
"It is my idea of necessity. If we do not act now, it is not only our future you imperil." Vayne stated matter of factly as he tapped his chin with a delicately gloved finger, eyes not leaving that of his father.
"So you would dirty your hands, to keep his clean?"
Vayne waved his hand dismissively. "My hands are stained with blood. I see little reason to stay them now."
A long sigh escaped the Emperor's lips as he sagged slightly on his throne. "So they are. And so House Solidor lives on."
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I seem to be quite inspired lately, hence, another update. :)
More game story plot this time—and another possible conflict. Naughty naughty Basch. :p
School is starting, but I have decided to make a weekly update on this—a personal goal if you will.
Again, comments, reviews, and/or suggestions are welcome... if ever anyone is still reading this anyway. :x
Lastly, to Cela, I love you for your continuing support—it means a lot. :D
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)
Seph