Ashe and Basch
incidentally, what is the going rate for rescuing princesses these days?
In the height of Dalmasca's glory, Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca was its crown princess, a beautiful girl -- and bride -- with a bright future ahead of her. Basch Fon Ronsenburg served as the kingdom's loyal captain. Even though he hailed from a far off country crushed by the Archadian empire, he dedicated himself to Dalmasca's king as if he were his own. However, with the kingdom now under occupation and both officially declared dead -- she in heartbroken suicide, he in execution for the king's assassination -- the Ashe and Basch encountered by the party are shadows of their former selves.
The princess Balthier and Fran meet is not much of a princess at all. She's running through the sewers, sword in hand as she faces off against imperial forces. Balthier, Fran, and Vaan momentarily accept her into the party to fight their way to the surface, but she remains distant, making it clear that this is just business; under any other circumstances, she would have nothing to do with such scoundrels.
When they meet again, Ashe has nowhere else to turn and is thus more willing to accept their help. She even comes to trust them as allies in battle despite conflicting moral obligations. Surprisingly, it is Balthier who seems more suspicious of her motives. Privy as he is to the nethicite phenomenon and the terrible effects it has on those who wish to wield it, he is reluctant to help her in her search. As a result, he demands her wedding band as payment, saying he will keep it until he finds something more valuable, but clearly testing her stance. Where does her heart lie? Does she really see this as being for the greater good of her country, or is this some sort of selfish quest for power?
Ashe's dedication to her deceased husband is a major issue presented throughout their travels, as she has trouble discerning it from her own need for revenge. Such uncertainty would certainly make her more susceptible to the nethicite's influence, so much so that Balthier opens up his past as a warning. He's seen it all in the downward spiral of his father and empire, and he does not want to see it happen again.
As for the captain, when Balthier and Fran first encounter Basch, he is haggard and thin from years of abuse in Rabanastre's dungeon. Despite being accused of high treason -- the king's assassination! -- he is accepted as an ally in the sky pirates' trek through Rabanastre's underground. As Balthier says, he didn't see Basch kill anyone; with no personal insight to sway him either way, why should he take an official's word over Basch's own account? Although not addressed outright, as a former Judge himself, it is safe to assume that Balthier knows how Archadian politics work and has his doubts concerning the man's sentence.
And the fact that Fran does not leave him to rot or kill him outright is a fairly good sign. As Balthier cheekily points out, Fran knows her men; in a case such as this, no news is good news.
Even after having suffered for a crime he did not commit, Basch remains loyal to Dalmasca's royal family and its cause. Having hit rock bottom, he is slightly more appreciative of Balthier and Fran's help than Princess Ashe or her guardian Vossler, but that is not to say he does not suspect their motives as pirates. However, when he sees that they are true to their word and loyal to their friends -- even if not his country -- he gladly places his faith in them as valuable allies.
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