Final Fantasy XII: Ashe/Basch

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Title: Queen of Morning
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII

Characters: Ashe and Basch

Author/Artist: mithrigil
Rating: R, and a pretty hard R

Warnings: Spoilers for endgame. Not the romance you’re looking for.
Word count: 460
Summary: Basch gives her what she thinks she wants.

 

Queen of Morning

Mithrigil Galtirglin

            The first time she outright summoned him from Larsa’s side, Basch dutifully gave her what she wanted. She was forthright and clear to him about her desires; for herself (him inside her, his mouth under hers), for Dalmasca (his fealty, his zeal), for the world yet to come. She betrayed no delusions as to his own feelings, and there was far more talk of country and future as there was of love. And so he served her, spurred on by his own covert investment in this, by her beringed hands and swordswoman’s thighs astride him, by the stutter of her breath on his ear—and after, when she slept, he felt it was no different than his post outside her door, when she had been but a child.

 

            The second time, he knew her intent, and still they planned and contrived as if it was a function of diplomacy, which, Basch thought, it was. She raised concerns as the last of her line, and of him as the last of his, of what little remained of their old world, even to each other. And there was no more talk of love than there had been at the first, but talk of honor; of the wishes of dead men, and of men not yet born, and a country demanding an heir. So he guided her onto him with complacent stability, thrust up into her with each pang of guilt at the land he had failed and abandoned. And when she yielded to him, allowed his body to loom over hers, he saw the specters of those dead he did this for, and nearly failed again.

 

            She got her heir on him, the third time he was called. Basch had been certain that she would not ask a reprise, after the last—but, “You underestimate my trust in you,” she said, kneeling around his legs, unclasping his greaves, not the armor of another country but a plain hunter’s garb. “You misunderstand what I want.” And even after she had undone his armor, she remained on her knees, took him into her mouth in a confusion of nails and teeth and protestation. He tarried in Dalmasca the week entire after, foregoing his quarters for hers, and not entirely at her behest.

 

He was not her only consort—of this he grew certain, in the years to follow. But still she would send for him, throughout their lives, even after she ceased to be the Queen of Morning. And he would heed her, for whatever reasons they together contrived as appropriate; for Dalmasca (to keep her steady), for the world to come (to see their daughter), for herself.

 

And even at the last, beside her deathbed, they talked more of trust than love.

 

---

Comments

[puella-nerdii.livejournal.com]

<3

No, not exactly romantic. But it's got the trust thing going for it. I am incredibly weak to the trust thing. And oh man, Basch's devotion to his duty and him almost failing...yeah, that killed me dead right there.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Thank you~ And yes, not romance is the goal, really. For all I write them together, I don't...'ship.

[lassarina]

Oh, man. This is beautiful and sad and amazing, and I love the title and all that it implies, and how he continues to come back even when it no longer is strictly true. So gorgeous. ♥

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

The title's actually straight from the prompt. :;grin:: I love it when things work out.

[laylah.livejournal.com]

oh. yes. <3
it aches and I can so easily see it, between her pride and his devotion and both of their stubbornness.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I took all these A/b prompts on was to break away from some of my prior headcanon and conceptions and still remain true to them, and what I feel they are. I'm glad it seems to be working!

[jpegasus.livejournal.com]

<3 so lovely~
but this is my favorite part He tarried in Dalmasca the week entire after, foregoing his quarters for hers, and not entirely at her behest.
<3 <3 <3

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

::grins:: "...Wow. She's willing to forgive even tenuous impotence."

[rampant-geekery.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Exactly how I picture their postgame realtionship.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this gets a big fat "you're welcome" out of me. Hoo boy. ::blush::

[diorelli.livejournal.com]

This. just. killed. me. <3

Even though romance wasn't your intent, I can feel it underneath the layers and layers of trust, duty, honor and dogged stubborness.

Thank you.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Mmm, thank you... There is longing here, though, you're right.

[sheffiesharpe.livejournal.com]

Oh, look. Mith destroyed Sheff before nine a.m. That's new.

Seriously. Love. Love and awe from a coffeeshop & wireless access and trying not to make really odd faces and strange choked sounds in front of all the people here just trying to get their caffeine on.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Serves those coffeehousers right... I mean. Er. Thank you.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

This is iiiiiinteresting. Beautifully written, as always, and it's fascinating to see how closely this character dynamic (A/b, right? ;) hews to Swansong even if it's not in the same continuity. Your Ashe always seems so very possessive and so very dominant with Basch. Do you ever see it as being in-character for her to have a relationship that's less about her needs and more egalitarian?

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

A relationship with Basch, I mean. ::sigh:: I sense that her relationship wtih Rassler would have been much more egalitarian, if not tilted towards control of his end, at least since Ashe didn't have a chance to bust out of the Prety Princess Mold by then yet. (Seriously, how docile was she in every pre-war cinema we say of her? She even cried all silent and pretty at his funeral. Thank god she got more interesting once the Archadians disposed of him.)

It's too... too damn early in the morning for me... ::whimpers::

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

With Basch? No. I don't see them as able to have a truly egalitarian relationship--as long as she was once his direct ruler, he will be compelled to serve and put a meansure of his own feelings on hold.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

Oooh, interesting answer. ::fiddles and fiddles and fiddles with this!::

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

Sheff before nine, Boots before ten.

Slain, and rather wanting to curl back up in bed for a good, warm think. Beautiful.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Good god, is it murder or manslaughter? Inquiring minds what to know~

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

Voluntary euthanasia.

[gunshou.livejournal.com]

YAY DAUGHTER!

In my head, that's always the gender of his first child. And you finally let him top - are you feeling ok?

I like the balance of this better than usual; neither of them are as desperate, and he's more assertive. It makes him a better match for her, I think, more worthy of her respect and trust.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that. I do think he's much less the pushover in this incarnation. Maybe I've just spent too much time with the man, gotten sick of the old way as well. ::giggles::

[lindenleaves.livejournal.com]

If you wouldn't say you ship Ashe/Basch, is there a couple in FFXII you would say you ship? (I'm not trying to be rhetorical or anything, that's actually a question.)

As to the fic itself, it was somehow both incredibly sad and incredibly not, I thought. Well done.

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

I would say...that I rarely 'ship at all. In terms of FFXII, I might say Gabranth/Drace, because it happened regardless of whoever else either was with, it's plain as the oversexed blocking. But I never really think in terms of 'pairing', because the things I enjoy writing are about individuals who happen to be interacting, not about cohesives.

[sister-coyote.livejournal.com]

So lovely it aches.

(One of mine. I am speechless.)

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

So glad you liked it! ::throws echo herbs::