Title: Waltz Clavier? Fire Dance, Earth Blues?

Summary: As the sole survivor of the royal family of the kingdom of Val, Krile is being pressured to marry and produce an heir against her wishes, when Faris makes an interesting proposal...

Genre: Drama/Comedy?

Outline:

Krile, as the last surviving member of the royal family of Val, is crowned queen at age 15-16. Immediately afterwards, she is being pressured to marry and bear children to succeed her. Being little more than a child herself, she does not like this idea, especially as her court are trying to manipulate her into marrying someone from one of the kingdoms of her own world (Surgate?) to form a stronger alliance between those lands that were once of the same world. Though she does seem to have a thing for Mid, she couldn't be allowed to marry him anyhow, as he's a commoner.

She and Faris have become fairly close friends, as they're both fairly happy-go-lucky, spunky individuals, and also because as the braves' caller, Krile can summon up Syldra to speak with Faris. After a dance with Faris at a royal ball (during which Faris is wearing her male formal attire), Krile's court is furious, saying the queen should not dance with a rogue such as Faris. Even more furious, Krile shoots back that Faris is not only her friend, but also no rogue - in fact, Faris is from the royal family of Tycoon. Shocked, her servants say no more on the subject...

Speaking with Faris about this outside the castle, at Galuf's grave, Faris explains that since very few people actually saw her arrival at Tycoon castle, and absolutely none of the general populace, most assumed that Princess Sarisa was simply Princess Sarisa. And embarrassed by her masculine behavior every chance she got, the castle staff had begun spreading it around that Faris Scherwiz was the son of King Alexander's sister, who had left his family to sail the seas and became a pirate king. This explained the physical similarities well enough for any casual observer, and it was common knowledge now that Faris and Sarisa were not the same person. Sarisa, it was said, was simply shy, and preferred to let Lenna deal with the public. After Krile's outburst, this news had gotten back to Val's court as well.

At this point, Faris suggests that Krile accept the hand of "Lord Faris Scherwiz" in marriage, to stave off both the selfish alliance and the unwanted suitors. If Krile will appoint her head of the royal navy, Faris can come and go as she pleases between Tycoon and Val, to live as the reclusive Princess Sarisa when necessary, and stay on the open seas the rest of the time. Krile will have the advantage of being married without actually having to have her "husband" present more than a few days a month as well, for Faris would just as soon stay away from the courts anyhow. And if someday Krile does want to marry, "Faris Scherwiz" will be lost at sea and assumed dead. Krile can't believe Faris would make such a sacrifice as to live the rest of her life as Princess Sarisa, but Faris assures her that if all else fails, she can adopt a new identity and become simply another pirate again. Krile agrees to the plan, hesitantly, and as Faris is nobility, her court has no valid reason to reject their marriage. (Upon hearing this, of course, Lenna is horrified, but she is eventually talked into it.)

Unfortunately, the court must have proof of consummation for their marriage to be considered binding. Krile, being rather shy and innocent in this matter, can't stand the thought of purposely losing her virginity at Faris's hands (though Faris admits to having pleasured women before, for the sake of keeping a masculine appearance; she used her hands, and as an excuse told them that she would not want them to become pregnant, which added to her reputation as being extremely noble for a pirate), or even with her own, to provide the bloodstained sheets they will demand in the morning. Finally Faris simply cuts herself, dripping some blood on the sheets and then bandaging herself. To make it more convincing, she says, the guards at the door are likely listening in, and so she begins to jump up and down on the mattress, moaning Krile's name, much to Krile's embarrassment. After awhile, though, Krile can't help but giggle at Faris's act, and joins in cheerfully. They fall asleep grinning, arms around each other in a purely friendly manner.

Cid and Mid are meanwhile researching the crystals with the help of scholars from both worlds, and hoping to recreate them, but this time actually for the sole purpose of powering the kingdoms. This causes an upset in the elements, and Krile is telepathically contacted by [that turtle sage guy] as a few years previous. 

Again, it puts her in bed with a terrible headache, not long after Faris had stopped by on her usual circuit to spend the few nights that were expected of her as Krile's "husband", then taken off to see the sage, as rumors had already been spreading. Her court leaps to conclusions and thinks that Krile's pregnant, and brings doctors to confirm it while she's unconscious. Of course, the doctors' examinations reveal that not only is she not pregnant, she's still a virgin.

Now that it's been revealed that the marriage was never consummated, the court is furious, and the nobles threaten to put Faris away as a phony if their marriage is not consummated the next night they are together. When Faris returns and is confronted with this, she tells Krile that she MUST break her maidenhead, or their marriage is over and she could be married off to anyone. Krile reluctantly agrees to do it herself, rather than have Faris do it or find a servant boy and get him drunk, and Faris leaves their bed, going to lie down in the corner. She will not listen, and she will not look, she promises. Shortly thereafter, she hears Krile crying silently from shame, for she wanted it to be a gift given to whoever she would marry someday. Faris returns to the bed to comfort her.

Years go by, and Butz comes to visit, during a time when Faris happens to be present. The two of them did have some attraction in the past, and they can't help but pick up on that once again. Servants seeing the two of them talking notice that the two seem awfully close for "friends", and rumors that "Prince Faris" is a homosexual begin to surface.

Meanwhile, Krile has kept up her correspondance with her old crush Mid, though it has all been business and social talk in their letters, and he has never visited. Finally he does visit, as his scientific achievements have been recognized throughout the world, and he is to be knighted. When the two of them finally speak face to face again, Mid confesses that he never came to visit despite her invitations because he had a crush on her, and he knew nothing would ever come of it, and didn't want to tempt fate. Krile asks what he thinks of her now, and Mid admits that she's grown up to be the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. The two begin a shy, covert romance, under the guise of him teaching her.

The rumors about Butz and Faris never have reached Krile's ears, until one day they are caught in a compromising position together. Still fully clothed, no one realizes that Faris is actually a woman, but either way, Faris has been unfaithful to the queen, and is accused of treason.

She could get out of the charge, Krile tells her, if she admits to her identity and they explain the situation, but Faris refuses, saying that then the kingdom of Tycoon would have a scandal in their highest house of nobility as well. As well as the ruling prince of Val, the princess of Tycoon would also be shamed, and that would do no one any good. As it is handed down to Krile for sentencing, the appropriate punishment is either death or exile, and Krile chooses exile, not willing to kill the "husband" that she's actually grown to love in her own way over the last years, even if he doesn't truly exist.

Faris returns to life on the high seas, a pirate once more when she's not forced to be Sarisa, and they remain friends, meeting secretly at Galuf's grave. As Mid is now a knight, he is a suitable match for Krile in the eyes of the court, and together they rule.

Bal - German
Surgate - Spanish
Grociana - Italian
Walse - French
Tycoon - British