Courtly, Final Fantasy XII (Ashe -> Vossler)
Title: Courtly Author: Sister Coyote Rating: Worksafe Word Count: 500 Prompt: Vossler/Ashe: physical responses - she kept herself still and calm even as his presence at her side filled her senses and made her ache.
It was improper and inconvenient and yet entirely predictable -- even traditional -- for the princess to develop feelings (love, she thought to herself late at night; infatuation, said her viera companion, simply but not unsympathetically) for the captain of her guard. There were many tales of such love: in the epic story cycles, the guard usually died in service of his lady; in the tragic love ballads, they usually died together; in the folk tales, often the captain found some way -- generally quite fantastic -- to prove his worth and win her hand.
Ashelia had no interest in the death of either Captain Azelas or herself, and nor did she expect to be won as though she were a trinket at a country fair, so she took ballads and tales both as cautionary lessons and kept her feelings only between herself and her companion, who was discreet as all viera were discreet. She said nothing to Captain Azelas, and indeed he showed her only the gentle courtesy that befit a knight to a princess; indeed when he was not bound by tradition to treat her with the dignity that her title afforded, he treated her, more than anything else, as one might a favored younger sister. She did not like that, but was pragmatist enough to see the benefit in it.
Still it was difficult, when she needed stay near his side, to bear that pragmatism in mind. On the steps of the palace at Nabradia, he stood so close behind her -- her honor guard, as much show as fact -- that she swore she could feel the heat from his body, hear the steady cadence of his breath, smell the bitter-herb scent of the tincture he used after shaving. It made her tremble, her palms sweat, her body warm with more than the sun, so that she had to clench her hands within their gloves and draw a deep steady breath.
He mistook her trembling; he said, in a soft voice, "All will be well, highness. I have reliable word that Prince Rasler is a good man, and your alliance will be a successful one."
"Thank you," she said, for there was no way in truth to correct him. She drew another breath and uncurled her hands, straightened her spine. Captain Azelas dared to touch her shoulder briefly -- a break from protocol, but one he no doubt saw as a kindness, and she felt herself sorely torn between wishing he would not touch her and confuse her so and wishing he would do it again, and again.
"All will be well," he said again, and she turned a little to look at him, in the sunlight on the steps of the palace, and did not have to force the smile that came to her lips.