Author's Note: Woo! Last chapter/epilogue.
I'd like to thank everyone so so so much for reading! Your reviews have been so helpful. :) I owe each and every one of you.
Of Blood and Honor
Chapter Twenty-Five: Lost Time (Epilogue)
Two weeks following the defeat of Heyn, Ashe paced the space inside her bedroom. Her new royal Healer had spent most of the time with her working on healing her wounds. She had fully regained her strength.
During the two weeks, Ashe had spent most of her time in bed. Basch, along with the recovered Larsa, had come to see her often at first, but then returned to Archadia. Ashe understood why they had to leave, and promised she'd write to them once she was completely healed.
Due to her serious and delicate condition, her new Healer forbid any visitors aside from the Emperor and his Judge. That, much to Ashe's displeasure, meant she could not see Fran and Balthier. They agreed to wait to see her before traveling the skies again.
Yet tomorrow she refused to stay in bed. She would venture out into Rabanastre and see them.
It was nearly midnight as Ashe paced her room. She found herself unable to sleep due to her excitement of seeing her lover.
Tomorrow cannot come soon enough.
Yet she didn't have to wait until the following morning. As he had done many times, Balthier entered into her bedroom via the balcony.
When he saw her walking around, a look of relief passed over his face. "It's good to see you so well."
"Balthier," she whispered as a great smile poured across her face. She rushed over to greet him.
Before he could even wrap his arms around her, she flattened her lips against his. The kiss was needy and desperate, as if she hadn't seen him in months. He placed his hands in the lowermost crevice in her back, his eyes falling closed as he returned her kiss.
She pulled back, instead choosing to press her forehead against his. "I've missed you."
"And I you," he whispered back.
They stood that way for a moment, hugging tightly while breathing in each other's expelled air. Balthier let out a nervous sigh, and broke their loving embrace. He stood a good three feet away from her.
"Ashe, I must explain something to you," he began, shifting his eyes away from hers.
Something about the way he spoke bothered her. She decided to change the subject.
"I... I must tell you something," she explained. "I tried to tell you before, when Heyn had captured us both."
He looked back to her, alarmed. "No, don't say it."
She was confused. "Why not?"
"It will be better if you don't." He avoided her gaze again.
She took a daring step forward, placing her hands over her heart. "I've fallen in love with you, Balthier."
He looked greatly pained. "No, stop."
She did as he requested. "I don't understand why?"
He took a deep breath. "Ashe, I am leaving."
"Whatever for?"
"It could never work for us, you know this," he refused to meet her eyes. "You are a Queen. I am a pirate. We could never marry or be together. I cannot continue to sneak into your bedchamber every night, nor can we make our romance known. It is better I leave now. Forever. It'll be easier this way."
Finally, he looked at her. Her face hardened. "You're not going anywhere."
He sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "Ashe, please."
"No. I don't care what your reasons are. You cannot leave. Not now. Not after what I just confessed. Not after what we have been through."
"It's more complicated than that. You know this."
The hard look on her face faded, and emotional fear took its pace. "Is it Fran? Are you more in love with her?"
"Of course not," he said, taking a small step towards her. "She is my friend- nothing more. Do not be so ridiculous. You know I love..."
Silence. They looked at each other, neither sure how to act.
"Say it, Balthier," she begged.
He turned away. "I must leave."
"Please, say it!"
He froze, then spun to face her. "It won't do any good. It will only make this harder."
She lowered her head, closing her eyes. Her voice came out solemn: "Is there nothing I can do to convince you otherwise?"
He approached her again, this time pulling her close to him. She buried her face into his chest, trying her hardest not to cry.
I finally open my heart to someone I could truly be happy with. I finally love- and am loved in return- and we cannot be together. Oh, the irony in it! Gods, please, let this be a nightmare.
She felt him move his hands from her back and to her stomach. Curious as to what he was doing, she pulled her head up and looked at him. His downcast eyes met hers, and he rested her palms on her lower abdomen.
"I learned of it when you were unconscious from the fever," he explained softly.
"Yes."
"Why did you never tell me?"
She wasn't so sure herself. "I don't know. The reason we started to copulate was to conceive, and once I did, I feared that if I told you then you wouldn't want to anymore. I... I did not wish to end it."
"I wouldn't have stopped."
"Now I see that it didn't matter whether I told you or not," she cried out, pulling away from him. "You still would leave me no matter what."
He looked as heartsick as she did. "I am sorry, Ashelia."
"Please, don't go."
He pulled her close to him a final time. Placing his lips against her forehead, he released his hold on her. Then he finished his soft kiss against her forehead, and spun away from her. Before she could speak another word of protest, he was out onto the balcony, and then over the railing.
And then he was gone; As if he had never come into her life at all.
Five Years Later
The years went quickly.
Larsa Ferrinas Solidor grew wiser as he aged, and remained protected by Basch fon Ronsenberg. Penelo, who had returned to Rabanastre to celebrate Vaan's short yet important life, wrote the two often. They were, in fact, her most important friends.
Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca continued to aid Archadia until it was fully restored, and three years after Heyn's death (four after Vayne's), she, Larsa, and the leader of Rozarria together signed a peace treaty.
Ashe was quoted, on many occasions, admitting that she would never remarry. She had loved, she said, and would never love again. Most assumed she referred to the late Al-Cid. But it didn't matter; after all, she now had heirs to her throne...
Fran eyed the twenty-eight year old Balthier carefully as he spied on Queen Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca. Since leaving Rabanastre five years prior, Balthier refused to return. But now, after following a hunt, they had come back. Balthier wished to see Ashe, but refused to formally make his presence known.
He chose instead to watch her himself.
He and Fran dressed as common, palace gardeners. They stood away from the castle in one of the many gardens, pretending to weed a group of flowers. From the castle doors, they saw the Queen emerge.
Balthier stopped his pretend work, choosing to stare as the twenty-five year old Queen came out into the garden. Her blonde hair was pulled back and pinned behind her head, and her silver two-piece dress blew gently in the wind. She was far enough away to not recognize the sky pirates had she seen them.
From behind Ashe came two young children. They ran playfully by their mother, chasing each other merrily. Balthier saw Ashe say something to them, but he could not hear her words.
He quickly looked back to Fran, an excited look on his face. It was the first time he saw his children.
Twins. A boy and a girl.
But he had known she had given birth to twins; after all, it was all Ivalice spoke of for months. The boy was four minutes elder than his sister.
But seeing them in person- their sunny blonde hair and rosy cheeks- made his heart soar. These were his children, and their mother was the most wonderful woman he had ever met.
He wanted nothing more than to run forward and greet them. His legs tensed beneath him. He had not gotten over his love for Ashe, and he knew he never would. She looked so incredibly beautiful, standing there, watching over their children. He bit his lower lip, and looked back to Fran.
"If you wish to go, then go," she said as she raised a brow.
But what could he say to Ashe to make up for all their lost time? Even if he did approach them, he would only have to leave again, and it would only cause them both heartache.
Yet he needed to see her. He needed to meet his children.
Decisions, decisions.
Unsure what to do, he turned back to his faithful friend. She smiled knowingly at him, and he smiled back.
Author's Note: Alas, they cannot be together. They come from two different worlds. Which makes me cry. T.T
I wanted to make it an open ending, and allow the reader to decide whether or not Balthier makes his presence known.
Again, thank you SO much for reading! If you have time, check out my other fiction which will be posted today or tomorrow, called Carnivore.