Shifting Sands
Fandom: Final Fantasy XII
Pairing: None
Summary: Ashe's coronation is happening soon and she reflects back on her journey
Also on AO3
Dalmasca will rise again.
Of that much she is certain.
The war took everything from her. Her father, her husband, her kingdom, her birthright. It would've taken herself had she not been assisted by her friends.
Balthier, the sky pirate, runaway heir of House Bunansa.
Fran, the Viera who turned her back on the woods for reasons only she knew.
Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, newly-apopointed emperor of Archadia, only a child forced to turn on his own brother to right the Empire's wrongs.
Vaan and Penelo, Rabanastran youth caught in the webs of a war which had already taken too much from them.
Basch fon Ronsenburg, the soldier framed for murdering her late father King Raminas, tortured and left to rot for two years in the dungeons.
The war took everything from them, and in loss they bonded. Be it chance or fate, the truth is that meeting them, having their unyielding support was crucial for the restoration of the kingdom. For her own survival.
She closed her eyes, feeling the gentle warmth of the evening sun tenderly kissing her face.
Dalmascans know the desert like the palm of their lover's hands, they slide through the dunes like her fingers through blond hair, like calloused hands on the waves of her body, they become one with the land like sand and water in Ogir-Yensa Sandsea, like two lovers shifting together in waves under the desert moonlight. The motherland is brutal to the unprepared, the harsh winds fustigating the spirit while the ruthless wild beasts beat the body, but those who prove their worth can quench their thirst in its bountiful oasis.
Her eyes slowly opened again, taking in the city, the people, the horizon.
Those like herself. Ashe. Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, the rightful ruler of this land. But to her friends, just Ashe. She never had to work hard in her life before the murder of her father, she never had to hide her regal upbringing, she never had to travel by foot through the desert, the plains, the jungle or the mountains. She never had to cross caves full of bats and monsters, never imagined herself disturbing a tomb or fighting forces of nature. She wouldn't have done any of those things without her esteemed friends.
But a question plagues her mind. Is she truly worthy of her destiny? She is the only surviving daughter of the royal family, direct descendant of the Dynast King Raithwall, her heritage is indubitable. She was raised to rule this nation, she never strayed from the righteous path, she never stopped fighting to restore Dalmasca, she refused to be puppeted by other nations or the Occurian, yet so many sacrifices were made just so she could reclaim the throne. Reddas. Gabranth. Vossler. Countless people she never met. Casualities of war, but death is never justified. Would things have been different,would there be less casualities and victims if she was stronger, if she had people whom she could rely on?
Her friends.
Balthier and Fran run untamed, seeking adventure and treasure. Perhaps they could occasionally station in Rabanastre and lend her a hand, but she knows she can't leash them.
She can't ask Vaan or Penelo, much of their youth already wasted to war. No, not yet at least, they should enjoy what she has never been given a chance to.
Larsa is but a child with the weight of an empire on his small shoulders. She would always welcome him and hope to help guide his path, but he has a lot to learn on his own.
Basch... Basch chose to honor his twin brother's dying wish, taking on his identity to accompany Larsa and "further the cause of peace in Ivalice". She wondered if he walked with less burden, less guilt, less shame. No more honorable man was there in Ivalice, and if she was being truthful, his absence weighed heavily on her.
Times were shifting, it was time to mourn the past and the fallen, to carry their legacy forward, it was time to correct the mistakes of yore, to rebuild and start anew. Her trials were just getting started and she had to steel herself, hold her head high, the eyes and hopes of an entire nation entirely on her.
She'd already sent out an invitation for her coronation, and Larsa already confirmed their presence. She knew Vaan and Penelo would be there, and she expected Balthier and Fran to make an appearance too, after all what better place for leads to new treasure than a royal coronation? There was yet time, but she anticipated seeing her friends there, and even though she was not one to indulge in daydreaming, she imagined their familiar voices calling out to her again. Ashe. Not Her Royal Majesty, Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. No, just Ashe to them.
A small smile formed on her lips.
.
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