Disclaimer: All creative works off which this fanwork is based are the property of their respective authors. No copyright infringement is intended.

Warning: This story is Rated M for mature and will be very dark. Thank you. I love Promptis.

Chapter I: Aurora

"Wait up Noct!"

"Hurry up slowpoke."

"You know I have asthma."

"Is that my problem, Plumpto ?"

"Why do you have to be a jerk all the time!"

The trees laid rooted upon the ground and the sunset's amber hues reflected upon the puddles left from yesterday's rainfall. The leaves swayed back and forth as the crisp autumn wind fluttered through the outskirts of Insomnia. "You're just too sensitive." Noctis called out as he ran towards the clearing of the forest. The familiar sound of the babbling brook grew closer as they ran towards their secret refuge. Prompto, out of breath, ran towards the stream and gathered a handful of water to splash his moist face. Noctis sat under his favorite tree, rays of light dotting his regal visage.

Noctis let out a deep breath and lamented upon his upcoming departure. "This is it huh…"

"What's up Noctis? Why the long face?" Prompto asked.

Noctis' lips pressed into a thin line before he tentatively continued, "Prompto… I have to leave soon."

"Wait what? What do you mean?" Prompto was unable to register those words. Leave? What did he mean by that? They were supposed to stay in Insomnia together forever. A wave of melancholy crashed over Prompto. He could not believe what his best friend was saying.

"Leave as in we aren't going to see each other for a long time," Noctis found himself looking towards anywhere but Prompto. He just knew what kind of face he had been making at the moment. Prompto had always been a crybaby.

The plump, blonde child struggled to find the words to speak. He and Noctis had been together for so long the possibility of them separating had never crossed his mind.

"W-where will you be going?" Prompto's lips quivered as he found difficulty not to start sobbing right then and there.

"Niflheim," the raven-haired boy mulled over for a moment before he continued, "it's pretty far from here."

"But… why do you have to go Noctis?"

"I'm the heir to the kingdom, Prompto. I have to do what my father wants me to do." Noctis was seemingly nonchalant towards the whole situation, however, Prompto knew better. If he was an expert at crying, then Noctis was an expert when it came to putting up a front. After all, being raised in the royal family required putting others' needs before your own.

"But what about what you want-"


"Earth to Noctis!?" A hand suddenly obscured Noctis' vision. "Day dreaming again I see." Ignis chastised.

"Huh, what? Oh." Noctis quickly snapped out of his trance and was brought back into reality, dark, blue eyes registering his surroundings. Strange. Why was he reminiscing about a past that could never be brought back. If there was anything in the world that Noctis had yearned for was to traverse back into his secret refuge within those woods, where he was no one and nothing really mattered.

"Listen, I know you are quite tired, however, you have some duties to attend to young prince." Ignis was a cross between Noctis' butler, friend, and mom. Out of all his companions, he was the most responsible, not only mentally but physically.

Ignis adjusted his frames before he reached into his pocket for his smartphone and swiftly swiped through it, "Noctis, your schedule for today is lunch with Lunafreya and her family at 12:30 PM, a meeting at 2:00 PM, a conference at 4:00 PM, and dinner with your business partners at 6:00 PM."

Noctis attempted to repress a groan of dissatisfaction, "Yeah, yeah, I got it, I'll go get ready." The raven-haired man begrudgingly rolled out of his bed and headed for the bathroom. Upon looking at his reflection in the mirror, he noticed the darkness underneath his eyes, the dullness of his skin, and gauntness of his face. His years spent in Niflheim was only detrimental to his health. The majority of his time was spent tending to his so called duties. It was dull, uninspiring, and draining, constantly having to put on a mask and being monitored every second.

Noctis undressed and stepped into the steaming hot shower and was enveloped into a state of bliss as he heard the melodious sound of water trickling onto tile. He momentarily forgot of all of his days responsibilities as the shower eased his mind. The sanctuary of his bathroom was soon shattered as he heard a loud knock on the door from none other than Ignis. Though he could not make out what he said through the splashing of water onto tile, he knew he spent more than enough time cleaning himself. With a sigh, Noctis turned off the water and proceeded to step out and dry his hair. He sauntered out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist to find clothes neatly folded on his bed. Designer trousers and a button up shirt with a blazer and a black tie was what Ignis had picked out for him today. Ignis even decided what pair of underwear he was going to wear. Inching towards his bed, he proceeded to dress himself with the garments that had been selected for him.

Noctis looked at his reflection from his mirror, appraising Ignis's choice of clothing. He looked rather radiant to say the least, however, he still did not know how to tie a tie properly. Peeking his head out of his room, he called for Ignis, who was standing by the island counter adjusting the carnations in the vase with one hand while the other was holding a cup of coffee. Setting down his cup onto the counter, he started towards Noctis' room.

"You know, one of these days you will need to learn how to tie a tie Noctis."

"Yeah I know... mom." Noctis lifted his gaze to Ignis to revel in his reaction. Ignis smiled in amusement as he fixed Noctis' tie into place.

"There you go. Prim and proper." Ignis said as he patted both of his shoulders. "You will thoroughly impress the likes of Lunafreya and her parents. I will have the driver ready to depart in about five minutes, so get going now."

"Thank you Ignis." Noctis slipped into his blazer and readjusted his tie. He surveyed himself in the mirror one last time before he exited out of his apartment.


To say Noctis was displeased about going to lunch with his prospective wife and her family was an understatement. In the first place, love, to him, was a useless and artificial concept. Secondly, he had no say in marrying Lunafreya, he was more or less forced into it. Lastly, he absolutely loathed small talk.

Noctis fiddled with his watch uneasily before his eyes scanned the restaurant to catch a glimpse of his family-to-be. Before he could spot them, however, a man with pale blonde locks and a firm expression plastered upon his face made his way to him.

"Prince Noctis, right?"

Something about his tone gave Noctis the idea that perhaps, the man wasn't so fond of him, "Yeah, that's me, and yo-?"

"Ravus, Lunafreya's brother. It has been a while."

I figured, Noctis thought to himself. "Yeah, it has been a while. So, where are all the others?"

"The cordial reception is located on the top floor," Ravus gave Noctis a once-over as if to remind him of his place and then motioned for him to follow.

A dull, throbbing headache developed beneath his temples. The walls felt like they were closing in on him and he felt a certain sense of constriction. The chandeliers, which originally served to contribute to the ornate ambience, only contributed to the pounding in his skull.

As he ascended up the spiraling stairs, he traced the rail feeling the intricate detail carved into the fine birch, etched flowers adorning the sides of the aisles. The walls were made of white stone, sconces adorning them. The stairs were long, narrow, and steep yet Ravus showed no sign of slacking. He halted for a moment to gaze out the large window, Noctis noted that the clouds hung oppressively low in the sky, tumultuous and dark.

Looks like it's gonna rain soon , Noctis speculated.

"Going to stand here all day?" Ravus snapped him out of his reverie and proceeded to guide Noctis to their destination. Upon their arrival Ravus pushed gingerly at the grandiose door, decorated with intricately carved flowers and opulent draperies embellishing the sides of the entrance.

The place where lunch was to be held was lavish, to say the least. White walls, a high ceiling, and only the finest ebony. A bouquet of white tulips decorated each table and a calming piece, which Noctis recognized as Clair De Lune, softly echoed throughout the space. Noctis nearly scoffed at the gaudiness of it all. This was so typical of Luna.

Sitting at the table closest to the impressive window overlooking the masses of land painted with the vibrant green of trees which Tenebrae was famous for, he spotted Lunafreya, her right hand cradling a glass of champagne while the other was gesturing for Noctis to come over. Her blonde locks were pinned neatly into a bun, nails freshly manicured, and wearing an elegant, ivory gown. Light blue eyes sparkling when regarding her fiancé. On either side of her were his future in-laws. Her father looked cold and unimpressed as ever while her mother beamed from ear to ear, obviously delighted by the raven-haired boy's arrival.

Ravus curtly nudged him into the room. Among the elated chatter, Lunafreya's father cleared his throat, " Noctis, so pleased you could join us."

"Pleasure to be here, sir," Noctis bowed, making his way towards his designated seat across Lunafreya. To the left of Noctis, was an obsidian haired girl who often accompanied his fiancee. He recalled her name to be Gentiana. She seemed to have a special relationship with his fiancée, for, their connection to one another was complex. To put it simply, if Lunafreya was spring, she would be winter.

"Good to see you again Noctis," Gentiana acknowledged, her feline-like eyes unmoving, the sound of her words like the sound of a blizzard. Her glossed lips lifted to a smirk as her gaze elevated to regard Noctis. She had a celestial aura to her; her face like the appearance of snow, her eyes like shining emeralds, and black tresses framing the sides of her face. She was clothed in a black robe-like dress with a belt of glittering gold.

Noctis nodded as he regarded her, "Yes, it has been a while hasn't it." Her emotionless stare penetrated Noctis, deep emerald depths analyzing him carefully. Then her gaze dropped towards the edge of the table, and looked away from the future king of Lucis a brittle smile still engraved onto her face. There was something about her that did not seem human.

Ravus held out the chair for Noctis, and he took his seat to the right of him. Ravus was the spitting image of his father; angled features, platinum blonde hair, and a frown permanently etched onto their faces. Ravus and Luna were so different from each other it was hard to imagine them as siblings. She had a gentle youthfulness to her features, saturated blonde hair, sparkling blue orbs, and a button nose. Personality wise, she was more radiant and expressive compared to her aloof brother. Noctis looked up to regard Lunafreya, a tremulous smile forming on his lips.

Lunafreya beamed, "Nocty! I'm so glad that we are all able to gather today! Do you like the music I chose? Beautiful, isn't it?" She sat down her glass of champagne and reached out her palm in order for Noctis to brush his lips against her manicured hands. "Wow Noctis. Such a gentleman ," she chided jokingly.

"Ha ha", Noctis feigned laughter. She gave a smug smirk in return.

"So, Noctis, you are looking quite thin lately. You need to eat more!" Lunafreya's mother chastised.

"Actually, Ignis has been feeding me quite a lot," Noctis replied jokingly.

"Oh yes, your dear friend Ignis. Tell me, how is that young man? He is so tall, young, and handsome, unlike you honey." She shifted her gaze and scowled at her husband. A grunt was his only response.

Laughing nervously, Noctis disregarded her not-so-subtle jeer at her husband and responded to her question regarding Ignis, "He's great, he's been really into baking lately."

"Oh! I must try his treats someday!"

"Yeah, he's really got talent, he's always coming up with new recipes," Noctis stifled a grin and focused his eyes upon his lap, trying not to laugh, "I'd be showering and he'd literally barge in like, 'Hey Noct, I've got a new recipe!'" Reminiscing about Ignis' cooking really put a damper on Noctis' mood, as he examined the contents on expensive china. He fiddled with his fork, pushing around the contents unbeknownst to him… What is this crap? He'd much rather eat his cooking than whatever Lunafreya had prepared for lunch. There was barely any food on the plate! Why would he care about whether the sauce was imported from the highlands of Niflheim. Truthfully, he just wanted a good ol' Crow's Nest burger; the best burger in all of Eos!

His future mother-in-law broke him out of his lamentation, "Well, I am glad that you have Ignis there to take care of you. How do you like Tenebrae so far?

"It's very surreal… almost dream-like here. It's a much needed change of scenery, after spending most of my time in Gralea under the tutelage of Emperor Iedolas…"

The sudden slamming of the door brought everyone's' attention away from Noctis and to the burly man in the black suit holding a phone to his right ear. "Noctis, I am sorry to interrupt your lunch, but this is very urgent."

Silence had filled the room and only the faint dribble of water droplets hitting the roof could be heard. He stood up and briefly looked out the window before starting towards the door. It's raining.

"If you will excuse me," he bowed before making his way towards the man holding out the phone. He was unable to catch the knowing gaze of Gentiana, her eyes following his every move as he drifted away from the table. Turning her head away from the prince, she focused her stare towards the window. She watched as the rain cascaded from the sky before she closed her violet tinted lids.

A sense of uneasiness stirred within Noctis' stomach as he hesitantly reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"You must return to Insomnia immediately." Noctis recognized the voice to be Cor, his father's right hand man. "It's about your father. He is in a critical state, and asks for you to come back home."

The calm drizzle of the rain was replaced by the rapid pounding of his pulse.