AN: For those familiar with The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, this scene should ring a bell. It's based on the scene in which Tauriel heals Kili.

The minute Ashe got news of his injury she dropped everything and left to be at his side. It had been three years since she last saw Balthier, their conversation about time still playing in her mind, yet she knew without a doubt she had to be with him. Her choice angered her adviser, who thought her foolish to "run off at the behest of some street rat that she had once long ago traveled with", but she knew he could do nothing to stop her from leaving. She was queen, the most powerful being in Dalmasca.

Vaan filled her in as they made their way towards the small home he and Penelo shared. From what she understood, Balthier was hurt badly, a nasty wound on his leg having been given with a poisoned blade. He and Fran had been attempting an escape from some rather unsavory people when one of them pulled the poisoned blade and caught his leg with it. Fran loosed an arrow and knocked the man back, allowing them to flee. At first Balthier seemed fine; He had bandaged the wound and told Fran it was but a scratch but he soon grew ill. Fran eventually convinced him to let her take a look and it was then she could smell the reek of poison wafting from the wound. She sought out Vaan and Penelo and brought him to their place to rest, but she could not get him healed. Thus, they turned to Ashe.

One of the Queen's best kept secrets was her skill in the healing arts. From magicks to poultices, Ashe could cure nearly any malady she had run into so far. Poison, however, was quite different than a cold or the flu as it spread throughout the body with a much more sinister purpose and there were so many different kinds. Caught quickly it was an easy fix but left too long… She would have to try to draw it out someway if Balthier's injury was truly as bad as Vaan made it out to be. The most concerning symptom Vaan had told her was that he was feverish, yet in a cold sweat. She feared the poison may have progressed too far for her to be able to do much more than ease his pain into the afterlife. She pushed that thought to the side, however, not letting herself fear the worst.

She entered the home expecting it to be the scene of nightmares, and it was just about there. He was laid out on the sofa, whimpering and thrashing in his sleep. She was glad to see they had removed his vest and had put him in shorts for ease of access to the wound yet disheartened see he had grown quite pale. Penelo sat by his side, whispering comforting words and dipping a rag in cool water to lie on his head. Ashe made her way towards him, and Penelo stood to allow Ashe to take her place. She nodded her thanks and then turned to Balthier quickly.

His eyes were clenched shut, mouth in a snarl. Lifting one of his eyelids, she breathed only a small sigh of relief that his whites had not discolored yellow, though they were bloodshot and moving rapidly. However, she pursed her lips when she glanced at his mouth. She feared he had bit through his tongue which would only pump more of the poisoned blood into his system. If she could pry his mouth open, she would check there as well but she knew it would just not be possible with how tightly he had it shut.

Her eyes quickly jumped from his face to the injury on his leg itself. It reached all the way from one side of thigh to the other. The man who cut him had been aiming for the knee, she guessed, due to how low it was on the thigh. It was dark purple, the wound still open even though Vaan had told her how long ago it had been sustained. The flesh right around the injury was black as death, and she feared it would need to be cut off and the injury sewn together until it could grow new skin to seal it up.

"Penelo, get me scalding hot water. Vaan, I need you to go and get yarrow and clay. Fran, clean bandages, scissors, and a towel would be helpful as well as anything you may have I can use to stitch him up after this. Make sure it's sterilized." Ashe instantly barked out the orders, her worry having set her manners aside.

When the others left the room, Ashe studied him a bit more closely. His breathing was shallow and his heart raced. He looked pained, so pained it made her chest grow tight and her heart ache. Casting a spell that would allow his body to be numb in hopes it would ease his pain- if only slightly- she started cleaning out the wound using the cool water Penelo set by his side. This injury was beyond the help of magicks alone, and she needed the clay and yarrow before she could do anything else besides. Carefully she ran the cloth around the wound, noticing how he winced still from it. The cloth soon grew too soiled for her to continue, so she inspected his breathing once more. He was still breathing shallowly, and she could feel his heart rate had quickened instead of her hoped slowing.

Fran returned to the room first, handing Ashe the towels and the cleaned needle and thicker thread. She then sat in a chair off to the side, her eyes filled with concern.

"I should have realized sooner…" Fran trailed off.

Ashe shook her head, knowing it best not to spit out the more unpleasant remark that had popped into her head. "He was being stubborn. You couldn't have known."

Fran just hung her head and remained silent. Penelo soon entered the room, the water she carried steaming, and she put the pot down on the ground next to Ashe.

"Is he going to be alright?" The twenty-one year old asked.

Ashe decided it would be best to not get her hopes up. "His odds are not the best at this moment."

Penelo nodded, wiping a few small tears from the corners of her eyes. She went and stood next to Fran, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

It was only a minute before Vaan returned, out of breath from running back. He handed Ashe the two items she asked for then stepped back.

"Is there anything you need me to do?"

Ashe nodded. "If he begins to thrash around, I need to you hold him down and hold him still. It is vital he remains as motionless as possible while I administer the poultice and begin the spell. He may wake up towards the end, at least that is my hope, and if he does then you can then release him."

Vaan moved to hold him down and Ashe began. She steeped the yarrow in the boiling water and placed the clay in the pot with it. The clay would then take on the properties of the yarrow and reduce the inflammation around the sight while it also drew the poison out. Then she would have to use magicks to help direct the poison out of his body and into the clay, which was a very risky and intricate spell. If she said even one word wrong, his life could be over just like that.

She took the clay out of the pot after five minutes and placed it on his leg. He tensed, but Vaan had him held well enough he could not move. She then took the yarrow pulp and rubbed it on his forehead to ease the fever. Then came the words. They were whispered, hushed in reverence to the magnitude of what she had to do. They grew louder and she went on, drawing the poison to the clay. Controlling poison felt like a shadow had fallen and a cold wind constantly blew on your neck. The feeling made you uneasy, and she had often wondered if the poison was almost alive as it tried to sway you from removing it.

Balthier tried to move as she worked, screaming in agony in his sleep. Ashe's heart leapt, but she knew she could not let her own emotions catch her off guard. It could only hurt him worse if she grew distracted. Soon, however, he grew less pale as she worked, his body relaxing and breathing growing more regular. If she could have checked, she would have wagered his heartbeat had taken a normal pace by the time she had gotten half way through.

She had begun to reach the final lines half an hour later and was growing ever concerned. He should have opened his eyes by now, why had his eyes not opened? Perhaps he was too weak? However, right as the thought filled her mind, his eyes fluttered softly and slowly opened. Balthier seemed fixated on her as she worked, and she locked eyes with him as well. However, his eyes closed again before she finished, and she knew exhaustion was the cause of it and not the poison. It looked more likely that he would heal fully, but it would take time.

The spell finished, Ashe pulled the clay away from the wound and set it back in the pot. She was relieved to see the injury look less purple than it had and that he looked more like he was taking a nap than on the verge of death. Taking the scissors Fran had brought her, she told the others to leave the room. She then trimmed off the dead flesh and stitched the wound shut. Using a towel, she washed the fresh blood away. He would need to stay off his feet for a few days. She took the clean bandages and wrapped his leg tightly, then took another towel to clean the yarrow off his face. She dabbed at it lightly, then wiped the sweat off his neck.

She stood then, gathering the things together to wash, when she heard a quiet voice.

"Ashe?" Balthier breathed, and she immediately turned towards him, eyes locking with his. Was he still in pain? Did he need something?

"Shush. Just rest."

His eyes looked puzzled, then hurt. "No… you cannot be her. She is far, far away from me… She walks in grand halls far below the sky… It's been so many years… It was just a dream…"

She felt his hand move towards hers slowly, their fingers brushing lightly against each other's.

"Do… do you think she could ever have loved me?" He whispered in his confused state before falling back asleep. Ashe gave his hand a gently squeeze then wiped a few small tears from her eyes.

Could she? Or perhaps had she too spent the years wondering if he could have loved her back?

A faint smile danced across her lips as she glanced at him once more before finishing gathering the things and leaving the room.