Final Fantasy Frontier 109 (Patreon)

Entering the aromatic lounge, where Penelo was using Andrew's lap as a pillow, the latter combing his fingers through her hair, Ashe asked, "Have you found him?" with slightly furrowed brows.

"No, but I uncovered an important bit of information," Andrew replied, maintaining a relaxed smile as he explained, "Before he was transferred, Vossler was taken into the custody of none other than Larsa. Where they went after that is a mystery, but there's a good chance he'll reappear and be freed by the young Prince when you inevitably meet."

Blinking in surprise, much of the frustration disappeared from Ashe's face as she asked, "You're certain?"

Nodding in affirmation, Andrew explained, "I figured something was off when I discovered that Ghis wasn't onboard the Leviathan. To confirm my suspicions, I hopped over and interrogated one of the people in charge of the holding cells. According to them, Judge Ghis was recalled to Archadia and placed under house arrest to await a Court Martial. The same person confirmed that, on the day he was scheduled to be transferred, Larsa had Vossler relocated to a Shiva-class under the command of Judge Magister Gabranth, Basch's twin brother."

"The man who killed my father..." stated Ashe, balling her hands into fists as hatred exuded from the depths of her eyes.

"At the behest of Vayne," reminded Andrew, preempting Ashe's response by adding, "I won't tell you not to seek revenge. It is your right to do so. However, even if Gabranth had refused to participate in the plot, another would have taken his place. When assigning blame, it's better to start with the person issuing the orders than the person who has little choice but to follow them."

Though she could understand what Andrew was saying, Ashe's hatred for Gabranth was nearly as strong as her desire to restore Dalmasca. It didn't matter that Gabranth was following orders. Because he happened to have the same face as Basch, the last thing her father would have seen before his untimely demise was the face of a man he trusted running him through with a sword, condemning their people to suffer.

Unable to meet Andrew's gaze, Ashe averted her eyes and muttered, "I will take your words to heart, but Gabranth must be held accountable for his actions. Even if he was only following orders, Regicide is too serious a crime to be absolved...I will not permit it, and if my people knew the truth, neither would they..."

"Like I said, that's your right," expressed Andrew. "Rather, if I were in your position, I would undoubtedly do something I would regret. That's one of the reasons I'm not suited to rule."

Feeling the same incongruency she experienced when Andrew cradled her to sleep, Ashe turned to meet his gaze and remarked, "You're a truly strange individual. You're endlessly frustrating, but then you say and do things that make me feel like I can do no wrong. It's vexing..."

"So long as you consider the consequences of your actions and put them first, you can't," contended Andrew. "That's why I keep telling you to think about the kind of Queen you wish to become. So long as you keep making decisions with that image in mind, nothing can stop you from bringing it to fruition. I'm here to ensure it."

"..."

Sensing no falsehoods in Andrew's casual assertion, Ashe experienced a conflicting sense of surety and unease, not because of anything Andrew said but because his assurances were spoken while caressing the head of another woman...

Seeing Ashe lower her gaze to Penelo, Andrew's smile became cheeky as a desire to tease her swelled within him. Unfortunately, Ashe had proven, time and again, that she wasn't the type that could take teasing in stride. Thus, rather than surrendering to the urge, Andrew asked, "Since I wasn't able to locate Vossler, do you want to accept a Mark and go hunting later this afternoon? The stronger you become in the interim, the easier things will be for you moving forward."

"Very well," said Ashe, regaining her 'regal' aura as she stood straighter and stated, "I will check to see what Marks are available. Make sure you are ready to depart once I return."

"Will do," answered Andrew, moving his hand from Penelo's head to her bottom to give it a light smack. She was only pretending to sleep, so his actions spurred her to open her eyes, rise to a seated position, and smile awkwardly as she avoided Ashe's narrow-eyed stare...

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[July 6th, 1800AC]

Though he believed it was a matter of time before their paths crossed with Larsa, Andrew invested a few hours each searching for the young Prince. Ashe wasn't fully convinced he had her nation's best interests at heart, so while the Princess slumbered in his embrace, Andrew scoured the palace and several other locations using the Correspondance Menu's camera function.

Fortunately, though the world of FFXII was much larger than what was shown in the game, there were few places a young Prince could wander without a sizeable escort. Gabranth also needed to make periodic reports to both the Emperor and Vayne, so Andrew just needed to keep an eye on them, and it was only a matter of time before he appeared, leading him to Larsa.

During one such stakeout, while Andrew was relaxing between the nearly-naked bodies of Ashe and Penelo, a peculiar scene began to play out in the display he was using to monitor Vayne's father, Emperor Granis Gana Solidor. Several high-ranking Senators entered his office as a group, their arrival confusing the elderly man as he hadn't summoned them, much less permitted his guards to allow them passage.

Before the Senators even had the chance to approach the Emperor and demand to know why he had convened them so late, Gramis's complexion paled, the veins in his neck and temples gaining a purple-black hue as the enchantment on his ring, granting him poison immunity, suddenly became inert. It wasn't visible to anyone else, but moments before the ring lost its luster, a shade-like being with a shadowed face and glowing yellow eyes appeared next to him, its body comprised of a mysterious black metal that coiled and swirled about like an intricately designed machine.

'So that's how Vayne killed his father without leaving a trace. He had the help of an entity that can manipulate perception and completely conceal its presence...' noted Andrew. He also considered intervening to prevent the Emperor's death, but as the man was the primary reason for Vayne's madness and the root cause of many problems, he felt it was better to let fate take its course.

'But it's strange...' thought Andrew, shifting his gaze to the display he set to monitor Vayne. The man was presently sitting at his desk and filling out paperwork in the nearby Royal Palace, presumably to give himself an alibi. What had Andrew confused was that, in the game, Vayne had either been present at the time of his father's death or arrived soon after it had been carried out. His absence ensured he couldn't be blamed, but it also meant he couldn't immediately seize the reins of the Empire.

Thinking of things that could explain Vayne's decision, Andrew concluded the most probable explanation was that he hoped to incite the Resistance or Rozarria's forces into attacking. Emperor Gramis had implemented laws to ensure that his successor would be democratically appointed, but with the nation at war and the Senate imprisoned under allegations of Regicide and staging a coup, the people would practically beg Vayne to return and fill his father's position.

'Looks like things are about to get real busy...' thought Andrew, wearing a relaxed smile. Ondore wouldn't be able to disregard the Resistance's call to arms, so if Ashe wanted to prevent a war, she and Larsa would have no choice but to act. However, as Vayne's penultimate goal was to unify all of Ivalice through conquest, an ambition spurred and backed by an entity he believed to be a God, they would need to confront him directly.

'Assuming Ashe doesn't just ask me to kill him,' thought Andrew. It was better to let her and Larsa work things out for themselves, but if shit hit the fan and Ashe implored him to act, Andrew was prepared to beat the shit out of Vayne and his godly protector in a single go.

With such thoughts in mind, Andrew stared at the sleeping face of Ashe with a faint smile. She appeared frustrated even in her sleep, but she was beginning to grow on him. Just that evening, she was the one to suggest that Penelo join them. Andrew only learned of her decision when he got to their room and discovered the duo waiting for him in their undergarments, so it was clear that Ashe was making an earnest effort to change. Not for him, per se, but for herself and her people.

'This has definitely been a learning experience...' concluded Andrew, closing his eyes and allowing the tension to drain from his body. Penelo made things a little difficult for him by squeezing and nibbling on his tail as she slept, but he didn't mind. After all, he was the one who had been teaching her to use her mouth...

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"This is a complete disaster..." expressed Ashe, cradling and massaging her forehead after reading Basch's morning report. Andrew had informed her about the Emperor's death and presented his opinion on what it could mean, but it was only after hearing the specifics from Basch, conveyed to her at her Uncle's behest, that she grasped the severity of the situation.

"Is it really that bad?" asked Penelo. From her perspective, it was only a matter of time before Archadia and Resistance came to a head. It would be nice if a large-scale conflict could be avoided, but after two years of being under the Empire's heel, most Rabanastrans were prepared to give just about anything to reclaim their independence.

Instead of responding to Penelo's question, Ashe looked to Andrew with a silent plea in her eyes. She both wanted and needed his help, but she felt that if she kept asking for it, the power dynamic between them would shift even further in his favor.

"We should make for Mt. Bur-Omisace via the Golmore Jungle," suggested Andrew. "Larsa will likely be waiting for us en route or near the mountain's base, hidden among the refugees. The Gran Kiltias, Anastasis, will also be able to reveal to you the location of a weapon that can destroy nethicite, the root of Vayne's power."

"Then I will summon the others posthaste," declared Ashe, a faint smile developing across her face as she added, "We shall depart the moment everyone has arrived."

Without waiting for Andrew's response, Ashe rose from the dining table they were seated at and left in search of Fran. The latter had become an interim member of the bathhouse commune, so she could often be found in the lounge or mingling with her 'sisters' in an area of the establishment not even Andrew was permitted, their sleeping quarters. More accurately, he 'was' allowed to enter, but he was warned that if he did so carelessly, he might not be able to leave...

Though it was widely believed that the all-female Viera race was born from trees, Andrew felt compelled to look into it after Fran's many cryptic remarks. In reality, the Viera would occasionally abduct and imprison men caught vandalizing the forest or illegally poaching the native fauna. Most would be put to death using powerful, aromatic narcotics, but before they were killed, those deemed to have 'value' would be made to take part in a special ritual. Put simply, they would be taken into the hollow of a massive tree and fucked to death by virtually everyone in the commune. However, as the interlopers were given a choice between that and a peaceful death via drug overdose, it wasn't fair to say they 'forced' their prey to relinquish their seed. Rather, those chosen went willingly, a sentiment Andrew both understood and empathized with completely...

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