By My Name [FF12, Ashe, PG-13]

[feuervogel]

Title: By my name
Author: akiko
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 420
Prompt: Final Fantasy XII, Ashe: lonely at the top - She wishes she could hear them call her by name like they used to, instead of by "Your Majesty."
Summary: Ashe gets a surprise visit from some old friends.



Being Queen wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Sure, having people to attend to her needs was great, but Ashe wanted her friends back. Basch would only visit her when Larsa made visits of state, and he'd never call her "Ashe." He followed etiquette diligently. Vaan and Penelo were her subjects. She could order them to call her by her name, but what would be the point? She'd lost that easiness with them.

Fran wouldn't care about protocol, but Fran was somewhere in Ivalice, no one knew where, except she was surely with Balthier. He would call her "Your Majesty," but he wouldn't mean it. Ashe laughed. Only Balthier could make "Your Majesty" sound like "dear friend."

Ashe paced her office.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty," a page said. She stopped and faced him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt."

Ashe realized she was glaring at him, and she relaxed her face. "What is it?"

"Visitors, Ma'am. They said they're your friends."

They must have escaped security and followed the page, because Ashe saw a familiar, longed-for rakish grin over the page's shoulder.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," Balthier drawled.

The page jumped. "I'm sorry! I'll call the guards!"

Ashe laughed, harder than she had in months. "No, don't worry about it. But I don't want to be disturbed the rest of the day."

The page nodded and fled.

"Good day," Fran said.

Ashe grabbed Balthier in a hug, and if it lasted longer than it should have, she didn't care.

"Where's your queenly dignity?" Balthier said, irony tinging his vowels.

"To hell with dignity," Ashe said, and she embraced Fran. "How did you know I was looking for you?"

Balthier laughed. "I'm the leading man, and the leading man always shows up right when he's needed to save the day or rescue the princess." He quirked his lips at her. "Though I don't recall that this princess ever needed rescuing."

Ashe laughed again. "Not from monsters. Rescue me from protocol and etiquette and formality and dignity!"

Balthier tapped his chin. "Kidnapping you might be more than we bargained for. Half the Dalmascan guard would be on our tail. Would you settle for an afternoon?"

Fran stepped closer. "We missed you, Ashe."

Ashe pulled them both to her, and their arms entwined around her. "I won't settle for an afternoon." She saw Balthier's eyebrow rise. "Stay at least until morning."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

"Call me Ashe."

Balthier's thumb caressed her jaw before his lips pressed against hers. "As you wish, Ashe."

Comments

[kirin]

Hee! <3

[feuervogel]

♥

[jessicamariek.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I am happy prompter. :D Ashe glaring at the poor pageboy seemed very realistic - the kid chose the exact wrong moment to use that honorific. :P Great job!

[feuervogel]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it :D