"They didn't let you out much, did they?" he asks, a bit of pity slipping into his voice. There was such a huge world to see, and most people, even the free ones, didn't even notice it.
His feet know the way, and it's not long before he sees the edges of the building peaking over the rest. Not time to draw her attention to it, though; better to see the entrance.
"For things like state affairs, balls, to sit at the women's table during meetings with other kingdoms. I never got to go anywhere like this." She could recall more than a few instances where their convoy had stopped for one reason or another in a city or town, but even then she hadn't been allowed to do much more than look out the window.
Perking up when a high-roofed building begins to come into view, she looks to Balthier, eyebrows raised in confusion. "Where are you taking me?"
"When I was a boy, my mother took me out in the city often, sometimes the outlying towns," he says thoughtfully. "It wasn't until my father cobbled up titles that I got too pinned down."
They turn again, and the building comes into view. "The old conservatory, for plants from foreign regions. There aren't many left these days, but the one at home was my favorite place to go as a boy. This one's grander." It's like a palace, but one only full of plants.
"I wish my mother was like that," Aerith sounds earnest as she glances around her again, appreciating her surroundings for how different they were from everything she'd known before being taken aboard his ship.
Balthier's description of their destination is surprising and utterly fascinating. Tending flowers was a ladylike enough activity that she had gotten away with it back home, especially after her magic tutor advised her parents that it would help with her healing magic, thus making her a better match for a warlike kingdom if the opportunity arose, but she never got to learn about her plants beyond that.
"A conservatory, for plants? That sounds wonderful!" And she started walking a little faster, unable to help herself.
"My mother was a commoner," Balthier says with a sly smile, not missing the way Aerith is taking everything in, clearly delighted even if she gets overwhelmed.
"Old technology, left over some past empire. Amazing it still works. They used more medicinal and magical plants than we do." Now she's the one tugging him along, and he does his best not to laugh.
These days, it's just a tired tourist attraction, a little run down, with some local groups still using its magical climate control where it can be patched. It's easy to duck in, drop a few coins in the fee station, and then be transported to another world.
"That's wonderful, you must have learned so much from her," versus the education Aerith had received from her own mother, which mostly consisted of sitting up straight and being quiet.
As secretly pleased as she is to be walking arm in arm with Balthier, Aerith gets too caught up in her surroundings and is quick to wander over to an arching trellis where bell-shaped flowers and rotund fruits hung from above, gawking at them.
Without taking her eyes off the flora above Aerith smiles at the question and shrugs coyly. "Well, I guess so–" Lowering her head she looks around them, glancing at some of the few tourists lingering about the plants before quickly adding, "darling."
This time he laughs freely. “I look forward to seeing people misread and underestimate you.” It’s his turn to drape an arm around her shoulders and add, “dear.”
Aerith doesn't say so, but part of her hopes Balthier isn't among those people. His opinion has begun to matter more and more the longer she stays on as part of his crew. She's sure it's all because she wants to do a good job, but she still leans into him without thinking after his arm goes around her.
"What a flatterer," her bright eyes dart sideways, glancing briefly at another visitor who had lingered curiously close by. "It's why I married him," she informs them cheerfully and looks back at Balthier. "You're going to have to show me your favorite place at every place we make port now."
“Is that so?” he grins at her, and surely his smugness is just how well she’s come around since earlier that day. “You would marry to have built in flattery, hmm?” He doesn’t notice the way he shifts as she leans into him, arm around her feeling easy and comfortable.
And he tugs her to him when she gives her order, laughing again. “Have I created a monster?” In truth he’s delighted she wants to see more. He doesn’t mind being tour guide.
He's the first person to touch her like this and treat her so familiarly, rather than the etiquette steeped rigidity back home. She knows she probably isn't the first person to warm up to Balthier while he pulls her closer like this, but, much like those little smiles he cast in her direction the night they shared wine, it makes her heart flutter just a touch.
"Won't it be good? Being seen out at nice places together?" She doesn't have any clue whether or not they'll need to keep this cover up after leaving this particular city, but, just in case...
"Such a noble," he teases, close to her ear so only she can hear. "More worried about being seen than what you get to see. This way." He tugs her away from the main walk, lifting some overgrown vines to reveal a door. They slip inside. It's hotter, more humid, a small, tall room for tropical plants. And private. It's only here he releases her from his arm.
"But yes, it will be good for our ruse, which I think will keep suspicion off you. Should keep suitors off you, too. No vagabonds in seedy taverns for you." He grins at her, watching her eyes take in the foreign plants and gorgeous architecture.
She doesn't know what to make of being pulled off into a small, cozily warm room alone with him, but her heartbeat picks up in pace as the door swings shut. Stuck between relief and disappointment when he lets her go, Aerith is grateful for the new, wonderful plants to admire, turning towards a display of red, fragrant orchids as she listens to him.
The talk of suitors gets her raising her eyebrows, and without looking at him - she can hear the smile in his voice and some part of her warns against staring directly at it when she's already feeling a little silly - Aerith shakes her head. "No suitors, agreed. I'm not a princess anymore."
It hasn't even occurred to him she may read this some other way, not with how convinced he is that she finds the idea of being with him repulsive. So it's good to see her wide-eyed and smiling, floating to the plants like they're magnets pulling her to them.
"No, you aren't," he agrees. He hadn't believed that before, not until that day with the wine, and even then -- something had changed that day, but it was only recently that when he looked at her, he saw a woman with a life to live, a pirate, and not a lost princess playing adventure.
"I was worried you wouldn't realize that. They'll give up on you in another few months, arrange some other marriage, and then you'll really be free."
She does look at him when he agrees with her, gratified. It's dizzying to think about leaving behind everything to learn a new way of life, and her ignorance of how the world works makes her feel silly, more often than not, but hearing him reinforce that she still wasn't a princess anymore made her feel good, steadied.
Is she still concerned about that? Well, he remembers what it was to have no place in the world, and fear the new stability he'd found would disappear just as thoroughly.
He comes to stand beside her, catching her gaze even as he runs his fingers over the leaves of the orchids. They're a bit like her, wild and bright. "You have a place on my crew so long as you want it. I've never met a healer half as good as you."
"Not bad for a soft little princess, right?" She beams at him, pleased that her abilities are this appreciated, shimmying from side to side as she talks.
"Maybe I can learn how to fight someday too, I can help out more then."
"You are one of those things," he says, smirking at her as she genuinely squirms with delight. What a strange person.
To the latter, she has a point. "It would be good for you to have more defense than your cutting tongue and tendency to disarm people with your cuteness."
Catching that remark, Aerith narrowed her eyes, barely holding back a smile. "You're always going to make short jokes, aren't you? We can't all be tall and elegant you know."
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no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 02:06 am (UTC)"Take me to your favorite place in this city, it's something I should know, right?"
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 03:25 am (UTC)"Hmm, favorite place --" It's a good query. There are restaurants he likes, a few good public squares, a nice view of the skyline.
No, he knows where he's going to take her. He changes their direction, heading toward a different sector. "It's a bit of a walk."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 03:34 am (UTC)"I don't mind, I like getting to see everything."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 05:52 pm (UTC)His feet know the way, and it's not long before he sees the edges of the building peaking over the rest. Not time to draw her attention to it, though; better to see the entrance.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 08:18 pm (UTC)Perking up when a high-roofed building begins to come into view, she looks to Balthier, eyebrows raised in confusion. "Where are you taking me?"
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 08:25 pm (UTC)They turn again, and the building comes into view. "The old conservatory, for plants from foreign regions. There aren't many left these days, but the one at home was my favorite place to go as a boy. This one's grander." It's like a palace, but one only full of plants.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 08:32 pm (UTC)Balthier's description of their destination is surprising and utterly fascinating. Tending flowers was a ladylike enough activity that she had gotten away with it back home, especially after her magic tutor advised her parents that it would help with her healing magic, thus making her a better match for a warlike kingdom if the opportunity arose, but she never got to learn about her plants beyond that.
"A conservatory, for plants? That sounds wonderful!" And she started walking a little faster, unable to help herself.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 09:00 pm (UTC)"Old technology, left over some past empire. Amazing it still works. They used more medicinal and magical plants than we do." Now she's the one tugging him along, and he does his best not to laugh.
These days, it's just a tired tourist attraction, a little run down, with some local groups still using its magical climate control where it can be patched. It's easy to duck in, drop a few coins in the fee station, and then be transported to another world.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-23 10:39 pm (UTC)As secretly pleased as she is to be walking arm in arm with Balthier, Aerith gets too caught up in her surroundings and is quick to wander over to an arching trellis where bell-shaped flowers and rotund fruits hung from above, gawking at them.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 12:30 am (UTC)But he's grinning at Aerith's enthusiasm. "Am I forgiven for not properly fending off old lovers?"
no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 01:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 03:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 03:48 am (UTC)"What a flatterer," her bright eyes dart sideways, glancing briefly at another visitor who had lingered curiously close by. "It's why I married him," she informs them cheerfully and looks back at Balthier. "You're going to have to show me your favorite place at every place we make port now."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 04:15 am (UTC)And he tugs her to him when she gives her order, laughing again. “Have I created a monster?” In truth he’s delighted she wants to see more. He doesn’t mind being tour guide.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 04:49 am (UTC)"Won't it be good? Being seen out at nice places together?" She doesn't have any clue whether or not they'll need to keep this cover up after leaving this particular city, but, just in case...
no subject
Date: 2022-12-24 11:03 pm (UTC)"But yes, it will be good for our ruse, which I think will keep suspicion off you. Should keep suitors off you, too. No vagabonds in seedy taverns for you." He grins at her, watching her eyes take in the foreign plants and gorgeous architecture.
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 03:13 am (UTC)The talk of suitors gets her raising her eyebrows, and without looking at him - she can hear the smile in his voice and some part of her warns against staring directly at it when she's already feeling a little silly - Aerith shakes her head. "No suitors, agreed. I'm not a princess anymore."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 03:43 am (UTC)"No, you aren't," he agrees. He hadn't believed that before, not until that day with the wine, and even then -- something had changed that day, but it was only recently that when he looked at her, he saw a woman with a life to live, a pirate, and not a lost princess playing adventure.
"I was worried you wouldn't realize that. They'll give up on you in another few months, arrange some other marriage, and then you'll really be free."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 04:05 am (UTC)"And I get to stay and work for you?"
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 04:46 am (UTC)He comes to stand beside her, catching her gaze even as he runs his fingers over the leaves of the orchids. They're a bit like her, wild and bright. "You have a place on my crew so long as you want it. I've never met a healer half as good as you."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 05:06 am (UTC)"Maybe I can learn how to fight someday too, I can help out more then."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 05:52 am (UTC)To the latter, she has a point. "It would be good for you to have more defense than your cutting tongue and tendency to disarm people with your cuteness."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 06:14 pm (UTC)"We can't all be tiny and feral either. You should appreciate your assets more."
no subject
Date: 2022-12-25 09:32 pm (UTC)"They used to let me use a staff for casting magic, I'm sure I could knock someone out with it if I tried!"
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