Chapter Text
They somehow make it back to Insomnia in two days and a half rather than four.
As soon as they left Verinas, some iron giants emerged on the road ahead but they managed to outrun them. They kept on riding all day, even past sunset, avoiding goblins until they just couldn't keep their eyes open anymore and the chocobos couldn't keep going.
They ended up resting for a few hours in a haven just northwest of the Disc of Cauthess but as soon as the sun rose, they resumed their long way home.
They rode through Duscae and eventually reached Leide where they nearly got trampled by a behemoth they unfortunately crossed paths with.
It was nighttime when they passed by Hammerhead and although the prospect of an actual bed and a warm meal was tempting, they were too close to stop so they kept going.
It is barely dawn when they finally reach Insomnia.
The Crownsguards at the south gate seem worried about their disheveled appearance but keep their comments to themselves, simply expressing their relief to have the Prince back safe and sound.
And although there's no danger now that they're past the wall, they still hurry making it back to the Citadel. They've been awake for over a full day already.
The poor chocobos are beginning to drag their feet and their chirping is now a lot less enthusiastic than it was before. As for Noctis, his eyelids are feeling heavier with each passing minute while his entire body is sore like he had been run over by a herd of dualhorns and a violent headache started right as they were passing by Crestholm earlier. Judging by his companions’ expression, they must be experiencing the same symptoms as him.
“Are we there yet?” Prompto sleepily mumbles before yawning as they walk through the gate and into the Citadel's courtyard.
“Almost,” Gladio answers with a yawn of his own.
And just like they expected, the news of their arrival traveled across the city faster than they did themselves as there's already people waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs; the King himself, of course, his entire retinue as well as Juno and Monica.
“Noctis!” the Prince's father worries as he meets their eyes, crossing the distance between them as quickly as his cane allows him. “Prompto! My boys!”
As soon as they hop off their chocobos’ back, he pulls them both into his arms, hugging them tightly, and it takes everything in Noctis to not just let the familiar, comforting warmth of his father luring him to sleep.
Shaking his head to keep himself awake, he does his best to focus and watches as Clarus and Monica hug their own son as well as Ignis too and the sight makes him tiredly smile.
Eventually, his father lets go of him but Juno immediately takes his place, kissing both of their foreheads while muttering prayers to the Six under her breath.
“I received a stolas from Esme,” she tells them, gently cupping one of Noctis’ cheeks as well as one of Prompto's. “It was brief though, only telling you had escaped the city.”
“What happened out there?” Cor wonders, his eyes flickering between the four of them.
“It's not Solheim,” the Prince begins to explain, trying to make it as quick as possible or he really just might fall asleep there. “Someone else is attacking the kingdoms and leaving incriminating evidence behind so we accuse each other. We don't know who but they sent a guy looking exactly like our intruder to kill the Princess in Solheim and the dagger he left behind comes from a Lucian forge.”
“They killed the owner of the tavern and branded their poisoned barrels as his to fool us,” Ignis adds, visibly trying to hold back a yawn.
It is a quick resume but it will have to do for now. He can barely keep his eyes open anymore and thankfully, the King notices.
“You've done very well, boys,” he congratulates them with a gentle smile. “Now go rest. The chocobos will be taken care of.”
Noctis doesn't have the energy to thank him so he simply nods and lets Juno basically drag him inside the Citadel along with the others; Weskham does the same to Prompto, Gladio is resting most of his weight onto his father while Monica is helping Ignis stay upright.
“We had your rooms cleaned up and prepared so you could go to sleep as soon as you arrived,” the völva explains as she guides him through the familiar corridors. “You poor boys must be exhausted.”
At some point, they lose the Amicitia clan as their apartments are not in the same wing of the Citadel but they're all too tired to say something to each other before parting ways.
It feels like forever but eventually they reach Noctis’ apartments. He, along with his lover, don't hesitate before kicking off their boots and stripping off their sweat soaked clothes, not caring about Juno or Weskham seeing them naked. Then, they immediately slip under the covers and Noctis plasters himself all over the blonde's back, holding him tightly, his face buried in the crook of Prompto's neck.
Within seconds, he can hear his lover snore and he knows it won't take him much longer.
The last thing he feels before drifting into slumber is Juno reaching down to run her fingers through his hair.
“Rest well, my little raven!”
*~*~*~*~*
It doesn't feel like a dream and yet, it's not quite reality either.
He's floating, or at least he thinks he is. There's no ground to stand on. Just a blue void bathed in a soft light.
He's neither hot nor cold.
He's just…
Existing.
He's not alone though.
A woman is towering over him. She's nearly as tall as the Citadel. Two massive white feathery wings on each of her sides. Long blonde hair and blue eyes. A blue and golden armor over a simple white dress.
She's beautiful and terrifying.
She's looking at him with an unreadable expression until her features soften and she smiles.
“Rest,” she tells him, her crystalline voice echoing around.
*~*~*~*~*
Noctis awakens with his head still pounding and his stomach twisting from hunger, like he hadn't eaten anything in days which is not that far from the truth.
They ate some fruits that were growing near the haven they slept at but other than that, their last meal was back in Solheim.
He opens his eyes and immediately recognizes the ceiling of his room as well as the familiar weight of Prompto spread on top of him.
The Prince finds himself smiling at his lover, gently running his fingers through the blonde mane as he tries to untangle the knots there. His own hair must be a mess but he can't be bothered to fix it right now.
Eventually, his ministrations wake up Prompto whose eyes slowly flutter open and Noctis’ heart swells up in his chest as he meets those indigo irises he loves so much.
“Hey,” he greets him or at least tries to as his voice sounds like he swallowed a handful of sand.
“Hi,” his lover whispers back, his voice just as hoarse as his.
The Prince's grin widens and he presses his lips against Prompto's who sighs happily and kisses him back.
A small voice in the back of his mind starts nagging him, reminding him there might be a war going on right now as who knows what happened while they were both sleeping but he ignores it.
If there really is a war happening, nothing is guaranteed but this moment right here in bed with the guy he loves more than life itself and may the Six curse him if he doesn't spend it kissing Prompto.
*~*~*~*~*
After a while though, the noises their empty stomachs make get too loud for them to ignore any longer so they have no choice but to reluctantly let go of each other so they can get up.
While they were sleeping, someone walked in and laid out freshly washed clothes for them so they hurriedly get dressed and then venture out of the room, their fingers intertwined.
The Citadel is oddly quiet as they make their way through the empty corridors. Too quiet. But maybe it's a good thing.
If they were at war, there would be a lot more chaos going on.
Thankfully, Juno is in her office when they reach it. Her eyes grow wide when they walk in and she immediately pushes aside the potion she was preparing, crossing the distance between them to pull them both into her arms.
“You're finally awake,” she sighs with relief, kissing their temples before pulling away to look at them. “How are you feeling?”
“I have a headache,” the Prince confesses, his lover nodding in agreement. “And I feel like I could eat a behemoth.”
“That's normal,” his aunt reassures them with a nod. “You've been sleeping for an entire day.”
A full day?
Noctis looks at Prompto who seems just as shocked at him.
It certainly didn't feel like it.
“Go wait in the dining hall,” she tells them. “I'll have the kitchen staff prepare you something to eat. I'll also go get your father and then you can tell us everything that happened.”
The two boys both nod in agreement but right as he's about to walk through the door, the Prince stops and looks back at Juno.
“Are we at war?” he simply asks and a saddened expression flashes across his aunt's face.
“Not yet,” she replies, shaking her head. “Regis is doing his best to avoid it.”
‘But it might not be enough’ remains unsaid.
***
They have been waiting in the dining hall for less than five minutes when the doors are slammed wide open and Gladio and Ignis walk in. Noctis has rarely seen his adviser looking so disheveled, his hair looking like a bird's nest while he was a week worth of stubble on his jaw as he did not shave since they left for their mission in Solheim while his Shield didn't even bother to get a shirt or boots, having simply put on breaches before dragging himself here and his hair isn't tied up as it usually is.
“How long has it been?” Gladio groans as he drops unceremoniously into the first chair within reach.
“A full day,” Prompto explains, stretching his neck.
Some servants then walk in, carrying enough food to feed at least ten people, Juno following behind.
“Good morning, Gladio,” she greets the Shield with a smile before doing the same to the adviser. “Ignis. I had figured that since Noctis and Prompto had awakened you would follow soon.”
She takes her usual seat, only grabbing an apple out of the many plates the servants lay out on the table before walking away, bowing their heads down at Noctis as they pass by him.
There's nothing classy about the way the four of them nearly launch themselves at the food but his aunt doesn't seem to mind or judge them either, just silently eating her apple while they devour the feast laid for them like starving behemoths on a prey.
It doesn't take long for the plates to be empty and their stomachs so full Noctis feels like they could probably all go for a few hours nap. However, before he can even suggest it though, the doors of the dining hall open again and this time, it's Noctis’ father as well as his retinue minus Cor who walk in; the four of them looking thoroughly exhausted as if they're the ones who had rode their chocobos for nearly three days straight.
“My boys!” the King greets the Prince as well his lover as he walks up to them, affectionately squeezing their shoulders before smiling at the others. “Gladio! Ignis! I'm so glad to see you all awake!”
The man then sits down at the end of the table where he always sits, his companions imitating him and from the corner of his eyes, Noctis spots Clarus ruffling his son's hair as he walks by him and Gladio playfully pushing his hand away.
“How are you feeling?” Noctis’ father worries after a moment.
The Prince shrugs.
“We're alright, I guess,” he admits, searching for his retinue's eyes and the three of them nod in agreement.
They're no longer starving and eating really did help with the headache as well.
“Your chocobos passed out as soon as we got them in the stables,” Cid tells them and Noctis suddenly feels like a bastard for not worrying about their loyal companions before. “They woke up just a little before you did.”
“Thank you,” Prompto replies and as if hearing the Prince's thoughts, he reaches for his hand, intertwining their fingers together which immediately settles something inside Noctis.
The King then clears his throat and leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows onto the table as he looks at his son.
“You've briefly told us what happened when you arrived,” he states in a grim tone. “Now, we would like to hear the entire story.”
So Noctis tells them everything from their departure around just a little over a week ago to their ride back home without sparing any details; from the rotten smell of decomposing flesh at the tavern to the way the screams of the man echoed through the city as he was being roasted alive.
The King's face as well his retinue's pale as he recalls the execution while Juno throws her head back when he talks about finding Quentin's corpse.
“And then we arrived at the Citadel,” the Prince concludes with a sigh after the Six only knows how long. “That's all.”
“By Shiva's fucking tits!” Cid swears loudly, startling everyone around the table as he pulls out of his pockets a small, metallic flask and swallows what's left inside.
“That's one way to say it,” Weskham concedes with a sigh as he sinks deeper into his chair while Clarus runs a hand down his face.
Noctis, however, doesn't miss the look his father and his aunt quickly share and he remembers the conversation he overheard before they left.
“Where's the Marshal?” Ignis wonders, reminding the Prince that the man is, indeed, not with the rest of the King's retinue as he usually is.
Noctis’ father sighs.
“He's on his way to the Solheimian border,” he explains, the words feeling like they're weighing him down. “He's going to try to negotiate with King Kal's envoy so we can avoid a war.”
“You think it will work?” Noctis asks before he can stop himself.
The King swallows with difficulty and his silence says more than any word could.
“And it's not the only problem,” Clarus admits, shaking his head. “Tenebrae and Accordo won't speak to us anymore.”
Prompto drops his fork onto his plate and the clatter echoes across the dining hall.
“What do you mean?” the younger Shield presses on, his eyes growing wide.
“Queen Sylva and Camelia Claustra haven't answered to any stolas we sent them,” Juno replies, her eyes flickering between Gladio and Noctis. “We can't tell if they've voluntarily cut all contacts with us or if something worse has happened in Accordo and Tenebrae and they just can't answer us.”
“Shit!” Prompto swears under his breath.
“What do you think?” the Prince presses on as shiver goes down his spine.
The silence he gets in response is enough of an answer.
*~*~*~*~*
The realization that war might be coming weighs heavy onto Noctis’ shoulders as he exits the dining hall along with Prompto soon after even though there's nothing he could do or say.
All there is for him now is to wait and brace himself but before that, there is one promise he made a long time ago he has to keep now.
“Come with me?” he asks his lover, gently pulling him along as he takes his hand into his.
“Ever at your side!” Prompto assures him with a nod, grinning as he intertwines their fingers together. “Where are we going?”
“There's someone I want you to meet!”
And although the blonde clearly is confused as to who it is, he doesn't question him and just follows the Prince through the Citadel and down the stairs until they reach the catacombs.
Realization flashes across his lover's face but Noctis just smiles and keeps on pulling on his hand down the corridors before he can say anything.
It is not until they get to his mother's alcove that it dawns upon the Prince just how important this moment is right now.
“Mom,” he solemnly begins with as he walks up to the obsidian coffin, running his free hand across the black stone, “this is Prompto. The love of my life and the man I want to spend my life with.”
The blush that spreads across the blonde's cheeks has nothing to do with the cold of the catacombs.
Noctis smiles to himself and continues.
“I always told you I would introduce him to you the day we would be together so now is the time.”
Prompto's entire face is crimson but he's beaming with happiness as he drops to one knee next to the coffin, respectfully bowing his head down.
“Your Majesty,” he greets her, making Noctis chuckle as he shakes his head at his lover.
“She absolutely hated being called that,” the Prince points out, squeezing his hand. “My dad always said to me she preferred being called by her actual name.”
Prompto nods in understanding and clears his throat before speaking again.
“Aulea, I'm in love with your son and for some reason I still don't fully understand, he loves me back. I don't know what I did to deserve him but I thank the Astrals everyday for making us meet. I don't have anything to offer to him but my love so I will spend every day for the rest of my life trying to be worthy of him.”
Noctis can feel his heart growing inside his chest and he can't help himself anymore. He pulls his lover back onto his feet before immediately crushing his lips onto his, kissing him way too passionately for the place they're standing in right now but considering all the stories he's heard about his mother, he knows she wouldn't be offended.
In a better universe, this isn't the way he would have introduced Prompto to her. In a better universe she would have met him the first time he brought him to the Citadel and she would have absolutely adored him from the beginning. In a better universe, she would have teased him about his feelings for the blonde just like his father and Juno did. In a better universe, Prompto would have said those words to her face, probably nervously stuttering them.
In a better universe, they wouldn't be standing in the catacombs right now.
“I love you,” Noctis whispers as soon as he pulls away from the kiss, bumping their foreheads together. “I love you so much, Prompto Argentum!”
“I love you, Noctis Lucis Caelum,” his lover murmurs, sighing happily.
They remain in each other's embrace a little longer, watching the marble statue representing the Prince's mother and eventually, they go back the way they came.
With nothing else to do, they end up back in Noctis’ room wearing nothing as they slip under the covers, simply holding each other and lazily kissing. At least, until the Prince simply can't hold himself back anymore and blurts out.
“If it wasn't for Solheim right now I'd marry you!”
The words are out of his mouth before he realizes it. Prompto's face heats up, a dark blush spreading onto his cheeks as he pulls away, his eyes wide with surprise and disbelief.
“W-W-What?” he stutters and although Noctis could probably take it back and blame the exhaustion, he doesn't.
“Isn't it obvious?” he chuckles, rolling so he's on top of his lover. “I just told my mother you're the one I want to spend my life with and I meant it. I just don't want what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life to be overshadowed by the threat of Solheim.”
And just like that, Prompto's entire face lights up while his lips stretch into a grin.
“Really?”
Noctis nods and presses a quick kiss to the blonde's lips.
“Is that a proposal, Noct?”
The Prince smirks and shakes his head.
“You would know if it was one,” he assures him, brushing their noses together. “I will romance you properly and follow our traditions and the speech I will prepare will make you cry.”
“Confident much?” Prompto teases and Noctis retaliates by pinching his sensitive nipple, making squirm underneath him.
“And then,” the Prince continues, ignoring the interruption, “we will get married and you will officially become a Caelum. Prince Consort Prompto Lucis Caelum!”
“I love the sound of that.”
Noctis’ smirk widens and he can't help but steal another kiss from his lover. Then another. A third. A fourth. A fifth-
“And then?” Prompto wonders with awe as he starts nibbling on Noctis' jaw. “After the wedding?”
“We're going to need an heir at some point,” the Prince concedes, tilting his head to the side to give more space to the blonde. “But it doesn't have to be right after the wedding, you know? My dad is going to pester us about it but we can wait a few years if that's what you want.”
And much to his surprise, Prompto vigorously shakes his head.
“No way I'm waiting years,” he protests with mischief flashing across his face.
Suddenly, he pushes at Noctis’ chest, making him fall onto his back but before he can say anything, his lover climbs on top of him, straddling his lap.
“I know it hasn't even been a month, Noct,” he whispers, running a hand down the Prince's bare chest, “but I've been in love with you for years. You're the one for me. I want to give you an heir and as many children as you want afterwards.
Noctis’ heart cracks in his chest at the blonde's words but he tries his best to not let it show.
He knows Prompto would do it. He knows Prompto would do whatever it takes to give all those children to him but reasonably, Noctis knows it won't happen.
Yes, they will have an heir someday but this boy or this girl will be their only child.
It's the Caelum curse.
No one in the last two thousand years has ever managed to have more than one child and it's not for the lack of trying. Fertility potions, spells. Everything has been tried several times and yet nothing ever worked.
But he can't bring himself to tell Prompto right now and break his heart.
“As many as we want,” he says instead, reaching up to grab the back of his lover's neck and pull him into a kiss.
He will tell him.
Someday.
Just…
Not right now.
*~*~*~*~*
Despite how exhausted he still felt when he woke up from his long nap, Noctis just can't fall asleep that night. He lies wide awake staring up at the ceiling with his arms wrapped around Prompto who's snoring lightly beside him.
There's too many things going through his mind.
The imminent war with Solheim.
His future with the blonde.
The conversation between his father and his aunt.
Those dreams he's been having…
He can't tell how long he spends there, trying to remain still so as to not wake up his lover but eventually, he just can't anymore so he gets out of bed as carefully as possible, puts on some breaches, a tunic and his boots, and walks out of his room.
He has no destination in mind so he wanders aimlessly around the Citadel until his footsteps end up leading him on the roof and much to his surprise, there's already someone there.
“Juno?” he can't help but wonder out loud, startling the völva who turns around to look at him.
Her features soften once she realizes it's him and she sighs with relief, motioning for him to come closer.
“Hi, my little raven,” she greets him as he walks up to her, affectionately running her fingers through his hair. “I'd ask what you're doing up so late but I guess your answer is the same as mine.”
“Well the city is called Insomnia for a reason,” he teases and she chuckles before leaning onto the railing surrounding the roof.
He imitates her and takes a good look at the sleeping town by their feet.
Like nothing was happening.
Like they weren't on the verge of a war.
“You seem preoccupied,” his aunt points out after a moment. “And not just by the current political context. Is there anything I can help you with?”
The Prince lets out a humorless chuckle before sighing deeply.
“The Caelum family always had a special connection with magic, right?” he asks her, meeting her hazel eyes. “I mean, the armiger, our abilities with elemental spells, all of those, it's in my bloodline, isn't it?”
“Noctis,” Juno replies, shaking her head, “you're not making any sense right now. What are you talking about? What do you want to know?”
“Have we ever had prophetic dreams before?” he presses on, shivering as he remembers the way the dog would stare at him. “Is it common?”
His aunt doesn't reply to him right away. Instead, she keeps on staring at him until something flashes across her face and the corners of her lips twitch up but it's not a happy smile.
“It's not common for Caelums,” she tells him, shaking her head slowly again. “But you're not just a Caelum, remember? You're Aulea's son. My nephew. The blood of our family runs through your veins as well.”
Noctis gapes at her several times, no word coming out of his mouth. Of course, he knew his mother and Juno's family also had a special connection with magic, his maternal ancestors having been völvas for centuries.
He simply hadn't expected to have inherited any of their powers.
“So?” he manages to say after a moment once he gets over the shock. “Mom used to have dreams like this? You do?”
Juno nods.
“Aulea's were always more frequent than mine though and she would remember them more clearly too.”
She then reaches for his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
“Tell me what you dream of.”
“Not much,” he admits with a shrug. “But it's always the same thing. I used to think it was just a recurring nightmare but now…”
Panic flashes across his aunt's features as she searches for his eyes.
“Now what?” she urges him.
“I think my dream actually came true,” he sighs, letting go of her hand to run his hands down his face. “I always dreamed of a dog staring at me through a faceless crowd but recently it started talking to me, telling me not to hurry, that we were going to meet soon.”
“Did you?” Juno worries with a frown, uncharacteristically anxious. “Did you meet it?”
Noctis shakes his head.
“But there's this man I ran into in Solheim,” he clarifies, remembering how…odd he was. “One second I was seeing the dog and the next, that man stood there.”
He describes him to her as well as he can and when he's done, his aunt immediately pulls him into her arms, holding him tightly.
“I have seen that dog too,” she sighs when she steps back. “Years ago. I saw it guiding you astray from your path so promise me, my little raven, that if you ever meet that man, you will not trust him. Promise me.”
“I promise,” he assures her, nodding. “You think we will see him again?”
“I'm certain.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, tightening her cloak around herself, and looks up at the starry sky above their heads.
“I fear that man's destiny is tightly intertwined with ours. For better or worse.”
A shiver goes down Noctis’ spine and he wraps his arms around himself, regretting having left his own cloak in his room.
He wants to keep questioning Juno, ask her what she and his father were talking about that time he and Prompto overheard their conversation, what happened in Catarnica.
But for now, he decides to remain silent once more.
Instead, he hugs her again and she holds him so tightly he briefly fears his ribs might crack.
Another time.
*~*~*~*~*
The next week goes by both agonizingly slow and in the blink of an eye.
Prompto never leaves his side through it and together, along with Gladio and Ignis, they go pick out his few last belongings from the Argentum's house to bring them to the Citadel where the blonde now lives.
The four of them spend their days training until they can barely stand on their feet or move altogether. They venture back in Cavaugh to hunt some more, making as much reserve as they can in case the whole situation with Solheim ends up in a siege of Insomnia. They try their best to keep themselves busy.
Through the week, Noctis doesn't dream of the dog, not even once. Nor does he dream of the woman again.
The occasional news they get from the stolas Cor send them are neither good nor bad. They're not getting any closer to finding an agreement as they were when the negotiations started but things aren't worse either so the King takes it as a small victory.
Then, one night, as Noctis and Prompto are walking back towards their room after bathing, right as they pass by a window the blonde stops dead in his tracks in the middle of the hallway.
“What's wrong, Prom?” the Prince worries as he takes his lover's hands into his.
“It's a full moon tonight,” he states bluntly, his eyes fixated outside where the moon is, indeed, full.
“And?” Noctis presses on, not understanding the problem.
Prompto's head snaps back in his direction.
“And what did Juno tell your dad? That the spell needs to be done on a full moon!”
Oh!
“Sweet fucking Six!” Noctis swears loudly as he understands what Prompto means. “They're doing it tonight?”
His lover nods.
“And they were all looking so anxious earlier during the feast!” he points out. “So whatever that spell is, I bet they're going to do it soon!”
The Prince hadn't breached the subject yet with either his aunt or his father but he might not need to after all.
“C’mon!” he says as he grabs his lover's hand to pull him along. “Let's go! They might have started it already!”
So together, they run down the hallways until they reach Juno's office and carefully listen to whatever is going on inside, trying to eavesdrop but they hear nothing so Noctis tries knocking.
“She's not there,” the blonde sighs heavily. “You think she could do that ritual somewhere else?”
“No,” the Prince instinctively replies, shaking his head. “She always said her office is the place she feels the safest practicing magic in because of the different runes of protection she engraved into the walls.”
So they take a quick look around, making sure no one is near, and then they open the door, carefully slipping into the room.
As they suspected, there's no one there and everything is exactly the same as it was the same time they were.
Except for-
“What is this?” Prompto wonders as he walks up to the cauldron that has been left on the table. “Never saw a potion that color before.”
It's the same light shade of blue as his weapons are when he summons them from the armiger. It's surprisingly clear too, almost like water, and it has no smell at all.
“What do you think it does?” his lover keeps questioning him.
“I don't know,” the Prince admits, shaking his head. “But if Juno never bothered to teach it to me before, it's either useless or extremely dangerous and powerful.”
Before they can wonder any more about it though, they hear nearby footsteps approaching quickly.
“Quick!” Noctis hurries his lover. “Under the bed!”
They both hide underneath the wooden bedframe right on time as the door opens and several people walk in; Juno, Monica, Noctis’ father, Clarus, Weskham and Cid who closes the door behind them. They're all looking nervous, fidgeting in a way the Prince has never seen before.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Reggie?” Weskham wonders in a grim tone, frowning.
“We have no other choice,” the King replies, shaking his head. “The war is imminent. We have to get as much information as we can.”
“Magnus still has any credibility to you?” Monica scoffs while crossing her arms over her chest.
“Of course not!” her husband answers before sighing. “But hopefully, those last seventeen years have taught him a lesson.”
Confused, Noctis looks back at his lover beside him and finds him looking just as lost as he does.
“There's a reason why this spell is reserved for traitors,” Juno points out and Noctis realizes she has already painted runes all over her arms and face which she rarely ever does; only when using the most complicated spells.
He watches as she unlocks one of her many cabinets, the only one he has never been allowed to peek into, and pulls out a glass jar filled to the brim with a thick, crimson liquid.
Blood.
“Believe me,” the völva continues, “he's wishing he was dead already. Now, stand back.”
Everyone obeys, promptly taking a few steps backwards so she has the space to finish preparing for the ritual. She starts drawing some complicated runes with chalk on the floor, separating each with a candle she lights up, eventually forming a full circle. She then takes off the lid of the jar and without hesitation, puts her hands into the blood only to pull out-
“Sweet fucking Six,” Prompto mutters, gagging while Noctis can only watch in shock the heart Juno has pulled out.
It's beating steadily in her hands, as if it was still alive but there's no way-
“Last chance to back off, Regis,” she warns her brother-in-law with a severe expression.
But the King shakes her head so she nods in agreement.
“No matter what happens,” she tells her audience in a warning tone, “do not step in the circle.”
Juno takes a deep breath and closes her eyes before beginning an incantation in old Lucian which Noctis understands no word of except for the last two.
“Magnus Scientia!”
She abruptly shoves the heart into the cauldron filled with the blue potion and immediately, something shifts in the air. Goosebumps rise all over the Prince's body while a shiver goes down his spine and his eyes widen as the runes on the floor glow bright blue before a silhouette made of crystalline shards suddenly appears in the middle of the circle.
After a moment, the crystalline appearance fades away, revealing the person's true appearance.
A man.
Tall and slim.
And looking exactly like Ignis.
Simply older.
Greyish hair and a bit of stubble.
His father.
“Magnus!” Juno calls him out, as she pulls her hands out of the potion, the heart still beating steadily in her palm.
The man takes a look around but when his eyes meet those of Noctis’ father, he falls to his knees, immediately raising his hands in surrender.
“Regis!” he desperately cries out. “I'm so sorry about Aulea. I-”
“Bastard!” the King snaps, pulling his arm back to punch him but Weskham and Clarus seem to have anticipated his reaction as they catch him before he can do so. “How dare you say her name?”
“Magnus!” Juno calls him out again, more harshly this time and she squeezes her fist around the heart.
The man immediately gasps in pain, clutching at his chest as he seems to be struggling to breathe.
“It's been eighteen years,” the völva spits out as she walks closer to the circle of runes, careful to not step into it. “But for you, it must have felt like centuries, no? The souls agonizing in purgatory tearing you apart and putting you back together only to tear you apart again, you want to go for another decade or two?”
Her tone has increased to the point she's now yelling at Magnus who lets out a sob, his hands shaking as he raises them again
“No,” he breathes out, shaking his head. “No. Please. Anything but this again!”
Juno then shares a look at Noctis’ father who nods so she motions for Clarus and Weskham to let him go. He then walks up to stand beside her, both of them looking down at Magnus.
“You betrayed us eighteen years ago!” the King firmly states as a mix of heartbream and disgust flashes across his face. “You took my wife's life, your Queen's! Why?”
Noctis’ heart skips a beat before dropping into the pit of his stomach. He can't have heard that right…
“He asked you a question!” Monica uncharacteristically growls, coming to stand on Juno's other side. “Why did you do that? Why did you kill Aulea? She was your friend! She was Cora's! She was your son's godmother! Why?”
“He paid me!” Magnus suddenly yells to be heard over her screams. “I had lost all of my money gambling. I had no other choice!”
“Who?” Regis presses on, his tone growing urgent.
But the man remains silent.
“Who?” Clarus repeats after the King.
“Who?” both Cid and Weskham's voices ask as well.
“I don't know!” Magnus cries out, shaking his head as the tears start to roll down his cheeks. “I don't know! He never gave me his name! He came up to me one day and said he knew I had lost everything gambling. He offered me more gold than I could count if I killed Aulea. I didn't have a choice! I-”
“You could have told us!” Juno interrupts, squeezing the heart once again and causing him to double over in pain. “We could have helped you! But no! You couldn't put your fucking ego aside so instead, you went on and killed my sister!”
He screams in pain, the sound echoing through the room until the King presses a hand to the völva’s shoulder and she releases her dead grip on the heart, causing Magnus to sigh with relief.
“What did the man look like?” Noctis’ father keeps on interrogating him.
“Fair skin,” Magnus quickly begins to describe him, panting. “Black hair and dark eyes. A big nose. I never saw him before.”
“Lucian?” Weskham asks him, raising an eyebrow. “Solheimian?”
Magnus shakes his head.
“Neither! And not Accordian or Tenebraen either!”
The King sighs deeply and shares a silent look with his retinue as well as Juno and Monica before looking back at the traitor.
“Anything else? Anything that might help us identify him?”
But Magnus only shakes his head once more.
“No! That's all I know! Please! Don't send me back there! Kill me. I'm begging you.”
He turns towards Juno.
“Please! Please, Juno! Kill me.”
Unfortunately for him, it's the völva's turn to shake her head and the smirk on her lips is nothing but cruel.
“Here's the thing, Magnus,” she replies, punctuating each word by tightening her grip on the heart in her hands. “I swore my sister's assassin would never know peace and I'm not about to break a promise!”
As she begins another incantation, he begins screaming again, begging her to kill him but she turns a deaf ear to his pleading and he fades away into crystalline shards.
“Fuckin’ bastard!” Cid mutters loudly enough for everyone to hear him. “All of this for some gold!”
“There truly is no limit to how low people are willing to go for some gold,” Weskham adds with a nod.
Juno, however, remains silent as she puts the still beating heart back into the jar, submerging it into the blood before cleaning off her hands with a dishcloth on the table.
“Now we know who paid for Aulea's murder though,” Clarus points out, sighing. “And I don't think it's too farfetched to say that man and the one who ordered the blade in Solheim are connected.”
“So what?” Monica asks her husband. “They thought Aulea's death was going to start a war but since it didn't, they had to come up with another plan so now they're putting up the kingdoms against each other?”
“The question is who could have done that?” the King replies as he leans on his cane. “If not from any of the four kingdoms, then where are those men from?”
He then looks at Juno who still hasn't said anything.
“What do you think?”
Everything then happens so quickly!
Rather than answering her brother-in-law right away, she bends over to pick up one of the candles but while doing so, she meets Noctis’ eyes and time seems to stand still. For a brief second, the Prince is convinced she will call him out and pull him from under the bed by the scruff of his neck like a kitten to scold him harsher than she has ever scolded him before.
But she doesn't do any of it. Instead, she stands back up to her full height and blows the candle before setting it on the table.
“I think that I need some time to give you a proper answer,” Juno finally replies, looking back at her brother-in-law. “I'm sorry. I need to be alone for a moment.”
The King doesn't seem offended and nods in understanding, briefly hugging her before he walks out of the room. His retinue imitates him, the three of them hugging the völva as they pass by her and so does Monica who holds her for the longest time. Juno closes the door behind her best friend and sighs deeply as she leans against the wall, tossing her head back to look up at the ceiling.
“You can come out now,” she announces with another sigh a moment later, pushing herself off the wall to pick up the remaining candles, blowing all of them before setting them on the table.
“Sweet fucking Six,” Prompto mumbles as he crawls out from underneath the bed before rolling onto his back.
Noctis, however, is frozen in place, the information he just discovered dawning upon him.
Ignis’ father is the one who killed his mother.
Not some unknown assailant as he was always told.
Magnus Scientia did not die trying to protect her.
He killed her for some gold.
Probably hired by the same group of people who are now trying to start a war between Lucis and Solheim.
“Noct?” his lover calls out for him and the Prince shakes himself out of his stupor.
He crawls to the blonde before dropping on top of him, burying his face into his chest. Prompto immediately wraps his arms around him, gently playing with his hair and massaging his scalp with calloused fingers.
He doesn't trust his voice to not betray him.
After a moment, he rolls off the blonde and looks around for Juno who is finishing cleaning up every evidence from the ritual he just witnessed; the runes on the floor have already been erased and the cauldron with the potion is nowhere to be seen. Noctis watches as his aunt hides the jar into the same cabinet as before and locks it.
“You're going to yell at us?” Prompto wonders out loud what the Prince was thinking about.
But Juno shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest as she leans against the cabinet to look at them.
“I'm not even nearly as surprised as I should be that you two sneaked in,” she tells him before shrugging. “I guess that's what I get for teaching you boys to be curious, to not take what you're told for granted.”
And despite the situation, she chuckles and a few tears well up in her eyes.
“I suppose you have questions now.”
“I do,” Noctis replies once he trusts his voice again. “What the fuck was that? You always told me necromancy was one of the darkest magics there was and that you would personally feed me to a behemoth if I ever tried it!”
But Juno shakes her head, her lips twitching up for a second.
“It wasn't necromancy,” she explains to him before vaguely motioning to where the circle of runes was. “Sit down. It's a long story.”
So they wordlessly obey her, sitting down on stools on the other side of the table and watch as she runs a hand down her face before pushing her dark hair out of her eyes.
“Alright,” she begins with a sigh. “So this started years ago, before either of you were born. Magnus Scientia was a friend and trusted adviser to Regis. He might not have been part of his official retinue but it was just as if while Cora, his wife, she was one of our best friends too. Me, Aulea, Monica and Cora, we were as close as sisters.”
Noctis absently nods. So far, it's nothing he didn't know already.
“Then, when Cora gave birth to Ignis…”
Juno briefly stops to take a deep breath.
“I couldn't save her. She lost so much blood. I tried, you have to believe me, I did everything I could but in the end, I couldn't save her. And it broke Magnus. We already knew back in the day that he had started drinking and gambling to fill up the hole Cora's death dug out but until now, we didn't know just how much trouble he had gotten himself into. And we should have! Things wouldn't have happened this way if we had been better friends.”
Something stirs up inside the Prince and he feels this urge to hug his aunt and tell her they're not to blame for what happened but she just keeps talking and he doesn't dare to interrupt her.
“Clarus and Monica took care of Ignis all the time as Magnus couldn't. They might not remember but I'm not surprised Ignis and Gladio ended up together.”
She briefly smiles.
“Cora would have been over the moon that her son and Monica's fell in love!”
She meets Noctis’ eyes.
“Then, you were born and Cid took Cindy in when Mid and Melba died and there was this visit to-”
She stops and although curiosity is killing the Prince, this memory is clearly important to Juno and if she doesn't want to share it, then he will respect her wish.
“We were all so busy with our little lives we forgot to pay attention to Magnus,” she says after a few seconds instead of whatever she was about to tell them.
Prompto reaches over the table to take her hand into his and she gives him a small grateful smile before clearing her throat.
“One day, you were two at the time, my little raven, and you had been quite sick lately so I offered Aulea to watch you for the night so she could rest. Regis was busy with some trading pact back then so your mother was planning to just catch up on sleep. But she didn't get to.”
She looks down and blinks several times, blinking back the treacherous tears that had welled up in his eyes.
“Magnus came to see her and she had no reason to think he had any ill intentions so she let him in. And that's when he stabbed her.”
Noctis feels a lump forming in the back of his throat.
“She screamed. He must not have known I was in your nursery. When I opened the door, I saw her on the floor bleeding out, and him standing over her with the dagger in his hand. I didn't hesitate, I attacked him. He wasn't expecting me so I disarmed him easily and you were crying, Noctis, and Aulea was bleeding. I couldn't think so I did the only thing that seemed logical to me and I stabbed him too.”
She shakes her head.
“Crownsguards heard and they came running. I told some to go get Regis while the others helped me carry Aulea and Magnus to my own chambers.”
Her voice cracks.
“Right here.”
A sob escapes her mouth and the tears start rolling down her cheeks.
“I couldn't save her,” she cries out, dropping Prompto's fingers to bury her face into her hands. “I had failed to save Cora and I couldn't save my sister either.”
Crying as well, Noctis stands up from his stool and quickly walks around the table to hug her tightly. She desperately clings to him as if she was scared he might disappear if she let go.
But she does eventually step back eventually, gently cradling the Prince's face into her hands as if he was the most precious treasure on Eos.
“I was so angry and your father was heartbroken,” she hiccups, shaking her head. “If Magnus died, it was an easy escape and we couldn't let that happen, he needed to pay for what he did. Then, I remembered that ancient spell. It was often used on traitors back when Lucis was founded. The body dies but the soul doesn't get to rest in the afterlife. Instead, it sends him to a realm where they're torn apart, tortured in ways you can't even imagine!”
“And what you did tonight?” Prompto quietly wonders. “You got him out of there?”
“Temporarily,” Juno confirms with a nod. “Only to question him as you saw and then I sent him back. For as long as I live, this man will not be at peace, I swear!”
She shakes her head.
“Not after what he did to Aulea!”
She takes a deep breath, steps back and sighs, dropping her eyes to the floor.
“You must hate me right now. I've lied to you for years and I let your mother die.”
“But you didn't let her die,” the Prince immediately protests. “You tried to save her and if you couldn't, no one could have!”
Juno, however, doesn't reply. Instead, she lets go of Noctis and reaches into a cabinet for a bottle of liquor. She opens it, carelessly tossing the cork into a corner of the room and brings the bottle up to her lips, taking a long sip before tossing her head back.
“There's another reason why we never told anyone what truly happened that night,” she confesses, still looking up to the ceiling. “If the word had spread that Magnus had betrayed us, the Scientia name would have been shunned and neither Adolphus nor Ignis deserved to spend the rest of their lives in shame because of him.”
“Doesn't Iggy deserve the truth though?” Prompto wonders to which Juno absently shrugs. “I'm not saying we should publicly announce it for the whole kingdom to know but he definitely deserves to know his father is a murderer and a traitor.”
“What good would it do to him anyway?” the völva asks him. “It's not like he could change anything about it. It would only hurt him.”
Before Noctis can argue though, a knock on the door startles the three of them and Juno sighs heavily and clears her throat before telling whoever is there to come in.
And out of everyone, the Prince wasn't expecting for Drautos to be the one to walk into the room with an apologetic look on his face.
“I'm sorry to bother you, Juno,” he apologizes, his eyes briefly flickering to Noctis and Prompto. “I can see you're busy right now but his Majesty is asking for you immediately.”
The völva sighs again and shakes her head.
“I'm sorry but tell Regis I'm not in the mood to talk at the moment. He will-”
“He doesn't just want to talk,” the Captain of the Kingsglaive clarifies, his features hardening. “He's in the throne room with our guests. A delegation from Tenebrae just arrived a few minutes ago.”
“Tenebrae?” Prompto repeats after him in disbelief and Drautos nods.
“They haven't said anything yet,” he explains, “and they refuse to do so until Juno is there.”
Her eyes grow wide with surprise.
“Me?”
The man nods once again.
“We should hurry!”
So Juno quickly washes the runes off her arms and face, making herself presentable again, and then the four of them start making their way towards the throne room, not quite running but walking as fast as they can.
“What's your feeling about this?” Prompto whispers for the Prince only to hear.
But Noctis shakes his head.
“It's not good,” he admits with a sigh. “Not good at all.”
The closer they get to the throne room, the stronger the dread filling up his stomach gets. If they couldn't just use a stolas and had to come all this way?
It has to be bad.
Very bad.
Finally, they reach their destination and the Crownsguards guarding it open the door for them.
The King is there, already sitting on his throne at the opposite side of the room, while his retinue is standing by his side. Crownsguards are posed every couple of feet, at the ready in case the situation escalates and requires their intervention. There's also around a dozen people standing at the feet of the throne; half of them seem to be nobles if their clothes are anything to go by while the other half is wearing white and purple armors with a winged unicorn crest.
Tenebrae.
Just like Drautos said.
They quickly cross the room to take their place; the four of them coming to stand next to the King.
“Well,” the völva begins, sighing, “you wanted to see me. I'm here now. What's the matter?”
One of the Tenebraen nobles clears her throat and steps forward, looking up.
“We're here at the request of his Highness, Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret!” she explains and immediately, Noctis shares a worried look with his lover.
Why would Ravus send a delegation here? Why not his mother?
“What can I do for his Highness then?” Juno wonders in a defensive tone.
“He's demanding your aid,” the noble clarifies, bowing her head down. “Her Majesty, Queen Sylva Via Fleuret, has been poisoned.”
“What?” various voices echo through the throne room, including Noctis’.
The woman nods solemnly, sadness flashing across her and her companions' faces.
“She has trouble breathing and has fallen unconscious. Nothing can wake her up. Our healers and her Highness, Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, are doing all they can to help her but without proper treatment-”
She sighs.
“-we fear she might not live through another moon.”
Juno's features falter.
“And you think there's something I can do for her that her Highness and your healers can't?”
The woman nods again.
“You have the reputation to be one of the most powerful völvas across all kingdoms! This is why his Highness and his sister both request your presence to save their mother.”
Juno's mouth opens and closes several times, no words coming out of it for a moment until she looks back at the King who seems just as shocked as her. Their eyes meet and he nods almost imperceptibly, making her look back at their guests.
“Has the poison been identified?” she asks them, crossing her arms over her chest. “I cannot treat her if I don't know which antidotes to bring.”
But it's not the woman who answers her. Instead, a stern looking man in the delegation steps forwards.
“Our healers say it was the Cygilian Nymph!”
A flower that grows on the coast of Accordo.
It's another set up.
Just like the Wailing Widow
Fuck!
***
Juno leaves the Citadel an hour later with the Tenebraen delegation.
She hugs everyone by the stairs of the courtyard; the King, his retinue, Drautos, Monica, Iris, Cindy, Prompto, Gladio and Ignis. She keeps Noctis for last and hugs him the longest as well.
“Be careful,” he warns her, his voice muffled against her shoulder as he clutches desperately at her. “Ravus will be looking for someone responsible if he loses his mother.”
Then, he will go for Accordo. A war will break out and Lucis will be forced to choose between their two allies all while dealing with Solheim.
But the first one to pay for Sylva’s death would be Noctis’ aunt.
“I will,” Juno assures him, kissing his temple before pulling away to look at him, gently cupping his cheeks. “I promise, my little raven.”
Then, she lowers her voice so only he can hear her.
“I will try to get us as much time as I can but if anything happens I won't be able to hold Ravus back forever. Understand?”
The Prince nods.
“Go to Accordo and find evidence. We have to stop this war before it breaks out.”
“We will!” he whispers back. “I promise.”
Juno smiles and then reluctantly lets go of him before turning around to face their guests.
“Let's go!”
So Noctis and the others all watch as she leaves along with their guests, her chocobo flanked with one guard on each of her side.
Like she was a prisoner.
Which she might become if things go south…
Beside him Prompto reaches for his hand, squeezing it before intertwining their fingers together.
“We need to go to Accordo,” the Prince declares as a matter of fact as he looks back at his retinue.
His lover nods and squeezes his hand again. Both Gladio and Ignis nod as well, his adviser laying a comforting hand on his shoulder while his Shield pats his back.
Noctis then meets his father's eyes and the King nods too.
This is their last chance to stop the war before it breaks out.