1WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR HEAR THE TRUTH CHAPTER 29
Finally the meeting with her uncle Ondore was officially over and Ashe could breathe a sigh of relief to recover from all the news that her uncle had told her.
For a short period of time, Lady Ashe thought of her sister Ondine and the two princes, sooner or later she had to expect that she would reappear claiming what was rightfully hers.
The dalmasca had not been happy at all with the idea of separating Rasler and Noah from their mother, especially for such young children. Among the various things that the princess had asked Halim, there was also the question of what her sister Ondine was doing in her spare time.
The marquis said that much of the girl's time was a constant coming and going between Buhjierba and some remote place of Ivalice, it is certainly Dalmasca was not among them.
Ashe had asked how long her sister spent with her children, the Marquis said little, because of the many commitments with which Ondine took care, he also pointed out how much, Ondine herself was jealous of Rasler and Noah, so as not to allow anyone he had to know of their existence.
The young woman could well understand the reasons behind Ondine's choice to keep the two principles secret and not only because they were the children of a regicide, but also because of Ondine's origins.
For once she agreed with Ondine on the choice she had made, but she did not find one thing right, that is, to hide this news from those people closest to her and who perhaps could help her, especially her and Basch.
Ashelia therefore took into account that at that point she had to prepare to face her sister, who certainly would have been very furious, so she should have expected everything from Ondine.
When the young queen talked about it with her uncle and the consequences of the latter's actions would have involved, Halim tried to keep his back saying that he had been forced to do so and that therefore he wanted Ondine to contribute with his presence to strengthen the Dalmasca's power during the Restoration ceremony, in such a way as to make a new covenant in doing so the kingdom would gain divine protection.
-Are you asking me to exchange my sister for the good of my kingdom? - said the princess indignantly in front of Ondore's proposal.
-That's what your father always wanted. Ondine came to the world for this, and it is always for this that she was raised as such.
-No ... what you are saying is unacceptable.-Ashelia growled in opposition to the words of her uncle, the girl had reached the maximum limit of endurance.
The princess was feeling badly hearing those words about her sister, she began to understand the reasons why Ondine hated and despised both Dalmasca and Ondore so much.
-Ashelia you must make up for it, if Ondine will not protect Dalmasca, his offspring will take care of it. For centuries the royal family and Dalmasca have benefited from the protection and benevolence of the gods and would you now deny it? You yourself have been chosen by the gods Ashelia to be the new dynasty queen, having the support of Ondine everything will be simpler. - Ondore said, remembering the proposal made by the Occuria to Ashelia.
-Is it if she didn't want to? If what he wanted was something else ... ... you really can't understand? -Ashelia was more and more disorganized, her face painted in an expression of deep anger. -As for our uncle meeting, end here ... I'm tired I would like to rest.-
Ashe said in a whisper, saying almost covertly to her uncle to leave because her presence had annoyed her.
In another wing of the palace, away from the rooms of Princess Ashelia, the group of adventure companions of the princess was cheerfully trying to pass the time and above all to bring down the enormous tension that reigned.
First of all Basch who had been seen thrown out of the conversation with Lady Ashe for no specific reason, by the same princess under the pressure of the Marquis.
Basch hadn't liked this behavior at all, especially because he was one step away from the truth, but he already knew that sooner or later Ashe would tell him what his uncle had told her, it was just a matter of time.
The knight therefore prepared to join Lord Larsa and the group of old friends.
That day Balthier and his partner had shown up at the palace again using his old pirate identity, Ffamran Mid Bunansa, a name that the pirate himself particularly hated but that sometimes he had been forced to use it because it was useful to him.
Baltheir that morning did not cease to be punctilious and cynical enough, especially when he noticed the absence of the Rozarian prince, he had put the matter in doubt.
Obviously the criticisms from Fran herself were not lacking, given the lack of education of the young pirate towards Al-Cid. Larsa enveloped was quite annoyed by certain allusions that the pirate could make, in the past it had happened that the two Archadians had some small quarrels especially the first time that Larsa and Balthier met.
Vaan and Penelo had also joined the group, who had recently gone to the palace, after helping Migelo in delivering some cases to the royal palace. The two boys were determined to drop by their old adventure companions, as well as wanting to know about the princess's situation.
When the two boys saw their old companions again, they noticed a somewhat surreal situation, seeing the young Larsa reply to Balthier's arrows that evidently without Vaan's presence he was getting very bored.
-What dandy where did he end up? - Balthier said ironically, noting the absence of the Rozarian.
"It is possible that you will not stop." Fran said, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.
"Our dear pirate is evidently getting bored." Larsa added, observing the huma.
-It's not at all like you think, is it possible that nobody noticed Al-Cid's absence? - The pirate airman pointed out, raising a sarcastic eyebrow as always.
-Al-Cid had some internal commitments in Rozaria which he had to take care of personally, do not believe us, turn to Malta, his assistant.-said the little emperor indicating the presence of Al-Cid's assistant not far from them.
-As if I believed it ...- Balthier replies even more convinced of his statements.
-That only keeps you from getting upset. I'd be better! This attitude of yours irritates me.-said viera exasperated by the ways of her su patner.
"Admit Balthier, you never liked that guy, perhaps because you fear he may put you in the shade." Vaan said enjoying the hilarious pirate scene, Balthier did not digest that comment at all, on the contrary he felt stung.
Vaan had that innate and rare ability to make him nervous like few others.
-I already missed your presence ...- said the pirate sarcastically, preparing to make a joke in reference to the Dalmasco boy-Why are you here? You shouldn't be in the sewers killing werewats ... you'd be useful.
-Oh you're right I forgot that you instead spend your time running after the beautiful legs which is very different from what I do, at least I am useful.-Vaan pointed out blasting the airborne in a rage.
Balthier if before he was taking it with Al-Cid now he turned all his attention to Vaan, when the two argued they looked like two children.
Penelo felt embarrassed, Fran for his part was used to the infantile manifestations of his partner, it was much better to watch that antic than to watch one of those scenes that usually Balthier offered when he was drunk drunk in the middle of some brothel.
The group had had the opportunity to see him at work several times, during the escape throughout Ivalice. Balthier gulped down one glass after another of wine, beer, liquor or whatever it was, it didn't matter, it only mattered that it was alcoholic.
And then after three or four bottles Baltheir became more than drunk, drunk ... and he came out with his violin and his brothel songs, showing a side of himself that only Fran and Nono knew, leaving the rest of the stunned group.
-Balthier admit it without Vaan you felt lonely. - Little Penelo teased, while Balthier pinched Vaan on the cheek, to punish him for his lack of refinement.
-Even in Balthier, a review of etiquette would not hurt. -Branches Fran annoyed after Penelo's statement.
Although briefly, those lines of doubtful taste of Vaan and Balthier had eased the tension that the morning had prevailed between them. Basch, in observing Vaan pricking himself with Balthier, felt much lighter than a few minutes before, even the same Larsa who was dragged by those two pirate airmen seemed to be better.
Larsa to be a young Emperor, he was first of all a boy still too inexperienced compared to the world of adults, due to his young age and his marked innocence Basch had found himself fathering him, in front of Archadian law he was legally the guardian of the boy.
Basch observes how the little emperor was easily involved by those two, Balthier behaved as if he were the one and only protagonist while Vaan tried to put him in difficulty, almost as an older brother to Larsa.
Larsa was being dragged more and more by Balthier and Vaan, the latter making it really difficult to deliver the speech that Balthier and Larsa were having at the time.
Between a joke and the other, Larsa had not missed the absence of Al-Cid and above all the comment Balthier had made, the boy was already thinking about some strange connection with Ondine.
For the moment Larsa said nothing, just waited to gather as much information as possible and if Ashe herself would have asked for it and would have asked for it, now there was only to wait for the conversation between Ashe and Ondore to end so she could know other news.
And while everyone was talking about the plus and the minus, the figure of Ondore appeared behind them followed by a woman with two children, who did not seem to have a beautiful wax at all, Basch looked fixedly into the eyes of the Marquis while they looked at him from the top down as he walked away.
All those present then looked at each other, wondering what was going on, in fact everyone knew that there would be a conversation between the princess and her uncle that morning, Larsa himself had informed them.
Something in Ashe's interview judging by Ondore's expression must have gone wrong, but what?
All those present wondered looking at each other, in a moment the cheerful atmosphere that reigned until a few moments before suddenly became heavy and tense, all those present became more serious.
-What a story this is! -Exclaimed Balthier.
-Probably will hit with Ondine.- Penelo supposed putting forward some hypotheses.
-But do me pleasure, that woman is always full of surprises ... but this I think is the most absurd ...- Balthier said thinking about how many times Amaya had fooled him. Amaya always remained a mystery to him, she would have been able to make the sun come out from under her feet if only she had wanted to.
-Anyway I don't see it having children ... -Added Vaan remembering all the times he had been ridiculed by Amaya. -It would be the worst ...-
Vaan could not finish the sentence he received a loud tug of ear from his friend Penelo, visibly nervous by the boy's out of place comment.
-You are the rude solid! Larsa himself exclaimed, wandering Vaan with contempt.
-Why ...? Vaan said falling from the clouds, everyone rolled their eyes, was it possible that this boy didn't catch the reason?
Yet it would have been enough to remind him of Basch's presence behind him. It took a while for Vaan to understand the hideous blunder he had committed against the captain.
Basch decided to refrain from commenting on that unfortunate joke against Ondine.
After a few minutes the group saw Princess Ashe arrive, wearing a classic light blue dress with gold-colored embroidery.
Ashe did not look very good at all, on the contrary she seemed quite tired. The mood of the princess was of the blackest, the group seeing the appearance of their friend, immediately understood that the conversation with Ondore had gone very badly.
Basch immediately tried to speak, but was promptly blocked by a gesture from the princess' hand.
-He told me about Ondine, as he wrote in the message ..- Ashelia said, in a cold and trembling voice visibly shaken.
"Will you come here?" Asked Judge Gabranth alarmed, Ashe then looked him in the eye for a long minute did not answer looked at him in a way as if he would tell him the worst news.
Ashelia wanted to tell Basch everything, but not being sure of the paternity of the two children, she decided that only when she would see it clearly and talk about it.
-What is Majesty? asked the judge worriedly, seeing Ashe almost about to cry.
-Nothing ... it's just that there are some problems with the preparations for the ceremony.- the girl said, suffocating the big magone formed in her throat. The young sovereign tried to calm down but to no avail, she was so shaken that she trembled and all her friends saw him.
Ashe told a lie, he said that some preparations for the ceremony had gone very slowly and that this would have lengthened the preparations by a few days.
The girl also invented the excuse that some nobles had made complaints about some decisions of the queen, about relations with Archades.
Basch and the whole group think it should not have been easy at all for Ashe to deal with all the preparations and decisions, which did not only concern the Restoration ceremony but also the various affairs of state.
-My lady, you need help, let me help you ...- said Judge Gabranth, proposing to help the princess.
Ashe hoped she had managed to make others believe that little lie, and indeed it had been. The girl felt a worm in taking advantage of the unconditional trust of her friends.
"But you didn't explain why Ondore carried a woman with two children." Balthier said point blankly, looking fixedly at Ashe, catching her off guard.
Even here Ashe had to invent on the spot, a second excuse that would go to justify what his friends had just seen.
-Well that ... the woman you saw with my uncle, her name is Karaii and two children with her, are her children, she was widowed three years ago because of the war with the Empire. I know she was looking for a job as a waitress here at the palace, but they didn't take it because of her children.
Honor noticed it and then brought it to me, he tried to put a good word in it. And I had complained several times to him about the lack of manpower here at the palace, with the preparations for the ceremony at the gates there is a lot to do and the people I have available are never enough. So I wanted to meet her, hiring her as a waitress.- the girl justifies herself, trying to be as convincing as possible.
An excellent excuse, with lots of history, tears. If Ondore had been there, he would have congratulated his granddaughter on her quick reflexes and her cold blood.
The lie seemed so credible that even Vaan and Penelo had fallen for it, after all the two of them resold in those two "poor children". Larsa did not comment on anything, not even Basch did, but the expression that the princess made when she told about that woman and her "presumed children" could not escape him.
Inside if Ashelia cursed herself for shamelessly lying in front of her friends, she had managed to be so convincing that she had surpassed Balthier himself than in the art of lying. But his was not a talent. But Balthier knew a lot about lies.
