Summary: Yuri once told Ashe coin was coin, that no one's hands were clean, and that he was proud of what he did.
He regrets it when Ashe takes a page from his book to save him.
Lord Burns is just some minor lord, like not even baron level yet.
He's been in there for who knows how long, the business deal should have been a sure thing. But this time the other guy was too fast for Ashe's arrow to reach and he'd been caught. At last this time the guy had the decency not to beat the shit out of him before turning him over to the guards.
It's not the first time someone's backed out of a deal and thrown him under the cart, but it's the first time he's had no way of getting out. Neither the noble nor his wife are interested in his "services," nor did they bat an eyelash at his blackmail threats. They'd taken him to the dungeons, where he's given the most basic food and water and watched round the clock.
There's really no point to them watching him, though. They took away all his weapons and his lockpicks, the doors and the windows are all bolted shut, and becoming a dancer meant giving up his ability to pick locks with a touch of his fingertips. He can't get out, and he can't contact anyone either.
The curtains are drawn shut, so he can't even tell how time passes by looking outside.
Oh well. It's like I told Ashe once, if this is where I'm led to my execution with people throwing stones and rotten fruit-
"-all of it." He tenses, his ears perking up at the familiar voice outside the door. Speak of the devil. "You can count it again if you want, but I swear it's the exact amount you asked for."
"Hey, I trust you. You've got an honest face," Lord Burns says. "Must've made it pretty easy to get the gold from that selfish old windbag, huh?"
"That, and telling him if he didn't cough up the gold after his army decimated so many of your villages you'd have his heir killed," Ashe says, and Yuri's heart skips a beat. This particular lord is an absolute dick who's done a lot of shitty things during the war, but Yuri would know if he was after someone's head. You don't go into the assassin business freelance without picking up on those signs.
"Nice touch." Lord Burns's voice carries a smirk. "That'll teach him to send his badly-trained soldiers into my territory."
"Yeah, well, we had a deal, remember?" Ashe says firmly. "The gold for my friend." Yuri's stomach flip-flops. No...no, this is the guy who still frowns every time I go off on one of my shady deals, the guy who lectured me because he regrets hurting people just to get by...
He hears the click of a lock, and the door opens. The sight of Ashe handing the man that bag of gold is unbearable. Gold gained from lying to a man, threatening him. The Ashe he knows would be more concerned with helping the villages rebuild before confronting the person who damaged them.
Yuri stumbles out of the cell, and Ashe smiles. Innocent Ashe, always looking for the true meaning of justice, obsessed with doing the right thing.
"You're free, kid," Lord Burns says. "Be glad you've got someone like him willing to stick his neck out for a creep like you."
I'm not about to help you commit crimes. I just want to save my friend, okay?
"Come on, Yuri. Shez and the Ashen Demon are waiting for us outside, and I've got some rations in my pack if you're hungry. Mercedes made some sweets and gave me extra, I know how much you like those."
Shivering, Yuri crumpled to the floor, pulling his knees tightly to his chest.
"Yuri!"
He's perfectly fine when they get back to camp, at least physically, but Ashe has Mercedes look at him anyway. As if her sweet smile and faith magic could restore Ashe's innocence.
I did this. This is my fault, when he spoke his mind I lashed out. I acted like it was my job to put the stupid baby in his place because how dare he think crime is a bad idea. How dare tell me to stop with the fatalistic attitude, risking my neck, thinking it's okay to get myself killed for my idea of survival. Hell, I even threw his own past back in his face.
Ashe helps him back to his tent, where he curls up in a corner. He can't face him, you sunk to my level to save me. I've ruined you..
"I'm sorry, Yuri. I promised to protect you and I messed up." Stop, none of this is your fault, I dug my own pit, you should've just left me there to rot. "Here, I've still got those sweets. Maybe you'll feel better-"
"Why did you do it?"
"To save you, of course." Yuri shakes his head.
"There had to be another way."
"We tried," Ashe says. "His Highness went straight to Burns manor with the knights, but no matter how hard he tried to defend you no one listened. And I knew I couldn't sneak in and get you myself, their security is really tight. Then I found out Burns has a rivalry with another house and made him an offer."
"By lying and blackmailing," Yuri mutters. "Don't you get it, Ashe? You went against your own knightly morals for me."
"Coin is coin, right?" Ashe's tone isn't mean or snarky, but his own words thrown back at him sting and he curls further into the corner.
"Forget I ever said that, forget every shitty thing I ever said-"
"This has nothing to do with that," Ashe says firmly. "I did it because I wanted to save you. And if that hadn't been enough, I'd done more, I'd have even-"
"Stop!" Yuri can't take anymore. "Just stop, you're throwing away your values, your innocence, if I hadn't said all those things-"
"No, you stop!" Ashe sits in front of him, grabbing his shoulders. "You didn't make me do anything, no one took anything away from me, Yuri! I chose this. I knew I could end up regretting it, but I'd regret it even more if I hadn't."
He reaches out, cupping Yuri's chin, making him look up.
"You once told me you did what you did to protect the people you care about, right?" Yuri nods. "Well, I did this to protect someone I care about."
Yuri uncurls from his ball a little, his shoulders slumping.
"Promise me you'll never do anything like this again. You're so good, I know I've given you guff about it, but...please, the world needs more people like you in it." A pause. "My world needs you in it."
Ashe doesn't say anything, but his smile tells Yuri he's got nothing to worry about.