Wow! I'm shocked at all the positive feedback I've gotten so far. You guys are the best. Anyway, here is part 2 featuring our favorite strategist and some Kingsglaive-era action. I hope you guys like and feel free to review, follow/fave :)
It only took Delenda a minute or 2 to switch from dazed shock to blazing fury. Why the hell did Ardyn drag her here, put her through hours of discomfort on a torture device/airship, just to toss her out of the car like a piece of litter. And then to give her money and a "buy yourself something pretty". What a jerk, what an ASSHOLE! There, that term made her feel a lot better.
As if she would take his money—she had pride after all and the thought of using his money for her personal things made her skin crawl. She wished she could be more petty though—there was something satisfying at the thought of getting revenge for his insulting behavior by running his card to the limit.
Then there was the reality: she was alone, in an enemy country with an unreliable ASSHOLE boss who may or may not help her out if she was detained by the authorities. She looked around quickly. The people she saw walking to and fro as part of their daily lives looked like her. At least Delenda did not stand out physically, so as long as she acted natural she would be left alone (probably). She couldn't stand on the street forever though. In her experience, loitering always looked suspicious so she had to be doing something other than standing around to pass for normal.
She saw a restaurant across the street. Might as well start small by grabbing a meal—when she was distressed as a young child her mother would always say "eat this, you will feel better." It didn't matter if it was a package of store-bought cookies or a home cooked meal, it always worked. At times like this she missed her mother, who had died when she was 12. She would have known just what to feed Delenda to make her feel better. As usual, Delenda would have to fend for herself.
The restaurant was small and mostly empty this time of day. There were some open tables outside, but she felt less exposed by being inside a building. And it was cooler in there too. She sat down at the counter and perused the menu, debating whether to find the most familiar dish to order or the most exotic Insomnia-specific dish.
"You can't go wrong with a Croque Madame" said a suave voice to her right. She looked over quickly at the man who spoke. His appearance did not match his voice. He was dressed in black jeans, a silk shirt, and a black leather jacket. His hair was light brown, short, and looked like he slicked it back with glue. She was used to those types in the aristocracy, the guys who used too much hair gel and cologne; dressed like "players"; drawled and whined; and when all was said and done were weak jerks.
Still, there was something about him that told her not to underestimate him. His accents were smooth, cultured. There was intelligence in his green eyes, hidden behind his glasses. He would not be an easy man to fool, Delenda thought uneasily, then shook it off. He was just a dude in a restaurant, not a threat.
"I thought you liked my fried fish, Ignis," the chubby proprietress accused him.
"Well I do, but I don't see it on the menu today, Bertha." The man called Ignis responded dryly.
"I like to change up my menu sometimes, young man" Bertha quipped back. "Now, young missy, what can I get you?"
Delenda decided to just follow her counter-buddy's advice and get the croque madame.
"So you followed my advice, madam," the man spoke again. Great, he wanted to make small talk. She wasn't sure how distinguishable her accent was—she knew there were imperial refugees everywhere so she had to hope that an imperial inflection would not raise any red flags with him.
"Well, since it looks like you are a regular here, I figured I should go with it."
He was studying her through his glasses again. "And you are not. May I ask your name?"
She thought for a minute of giving a fake name but then decided it wouldn't be worth it. "Delenda Achilleus" she introduced, holding out her hand to shake. As long as she didn't give out her full long name, her imperial origins would remain hidden.
He repeated her name to himself to get better acquainted with it, as he shook her offered hand. Based on his looks, she thought he would have a weak, diffident handshake. To her surprise his grip was surprisingly strong. "Charmed, I am Ignis Scientia. Are you new to the neighborhood?"
It was a seemingly innocuous question, but Delenda was feeling like she was being interrogated. She'd be dumb to claim she was born and bred here so she had to admit she was foreign. "I'm from" she panicked for a moment, forgetting where Ardyn had claimed they were from when checking in with the city guard. "Altissia." It was a good choice actually, being a far away, neutral site.
Ignis was looking at her pretty intently. Had he noticed her pause, was he suspicious?
"I've heard it's a beautiful city. Any recipes you would recommend if I ever visit there? I'm always out to try local dishes you see so it would be grand to have some advance knowledge."
Oh no, she had already dug herself into a hole. She had to come up with something, and fast.
"Well, it's hard to say really. You know as a local things you think are pretty hum-drum are exotic to somebody else. Unfortunately I'd have to recommend a guidebook since they have a better perspective on it." Yay me, she thought, gloating at her quick thinking. Her smug relief changed quickly when she met his gaze. He was decidedly suspicious now—if she thought he was studying her before it was nothing like now. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass.
His mobile phone rang interrupting him. After a terse conversation he hung up. "My apologies, Bertha, but duty calls." He rose from his chair with surprising grace. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Achilleus. We will meet again soon, I'm sure." And with that, he strode out, leaving Delenda to wonder if she had just been threatened.
"That man, " Bertha lamented. "I don't think he's gotten a full sit-down lunch in ages. Guess the life of a Kingsglaive will do that to you."
Wait, Delenda thought to herself. That guy is a Kingsglaive? One of the elite royal guards, deadly with both weapons and magic? Thank goodness she hadn't known or she probably would have panicked during his conversation. Or was it an interrogation? She didn't want to speculate on what would happen if he found out who she really was, at least until the peace treaty went through.
Delenda found out Ardyn's plan a few hours later, once it hit the newsstands. The Empire decided they would end the war with Lucis if they would cede the lands outside of Insomnia to the Empire and that prince Noctis would marry the Oracle Lunafreya from Tenebrae, a "protectorate" (aka conquered kingdom) of the empire. Did they really think Lucis would jump at that? It seemed awfully one-sided to her. And forcing 2 people to marry in this day and age was unthinkable.
To her surprise, Lucis agreed, to a mixed reception by the populace. After that, other imperial aristocrats and politicians began to arrive in Insomnia to join into the war ending festivities and deal with the logistical fallout of a peace treaty. Through it all, Delenda was forgotten. Ardyn had remembered her just long enough to return her bag and to recommend a "quite pleasant" hotel in the tourist district where she could stay for the time being.
Delenda spent her days grabbing meals at the local markets and restaurants, purchasing the extra necessities she needed from the local shops, giving the treaty protesters a wide berth, locked in a seemingly endless limbo. It was silly to just be killing time just in case her boss needed her for anything. The protesters made her uneasy. If she drew too much attention to herself, they may identify her as "Imperial trash" and things could get ugly.
Ardyn finally remembered her existence on the day before the peace treaty was due to be signed. Delenda was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing.
"Sir," she spoke into the phone, a bit more groggy than she would have liked.
"Good morning Delenda Aurora Beatrix Achilleus. Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" Ardyn asked with exaggerated guilt.
At least he had used her real name today, even it was all 4 of them. "Of course not, sir," she lied. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"I deeply apologize for the short notice, but his majesty is hosting a celebratory dinner for all of the imperial delegation tonight. As my secretary, I really think you should be there. Oh, and it's a formal do of course. Make sure you dress up. I'll have a car sent for you at 4. Ciao."
Damn him, damn him, damn him! She fumed, jumping out of bed. How the hell was she going to find a court dress in a few hours? Did he have any idea the effort and cost that would require? With her past experience with these types of affairs, she needed to have a dress custom measured, made, and ordered months in advance. And she knew that with her proportions, it was always hard to find a dress that fit right. And if she showed up with a generic store-bought, bad-fitting evening dress, would it insult the king? Would he break off the treaty? She snorted at the absurdity of it—he would hardly be likely to break off the treaty because of the way she was dressed. She would probably spend the whole evening being ignored in a corner anyway. Heck, she could probably show up in jeans and a tee shirt and nobody would notice her.
The hotel manager proved to be helpful. He pointed out a dress shop a few blocks away that happened to have a new shipment of dresses brought in as a result of the treaty. "A lot of people are partying now, so we need to meet the demand" the dress shop manager told her. Delenda settled on a peacock-blue taffeta ballgown with a full skirt. It didn't fit quite right—it was tighter than she liked in the bust, the skirt didn't quite make it all the way to her ankles, and it looked like it was designed to be a bridesmaid's dress. However, it was the best she could come up with on short notice. Blue pumps and evening bag completed her half-baked ensemble.
The black Audi sedan showed up promptly at 4. The man who opened the door for her looked to be another glaive—he was dressed in a black suit like the man in the restaurant had been. To her surprise, she was not alone when she got in. There was a slight blonde girl already seated serenely in the corner, and, she couldn't help noticing, dressed far better for the event than she was. Had Delenda gotten into the wrong car?
"It looks like we will be riding to the Citadel together, I'm Lunafreya." She inclined her head in a bow.
Lunafreya, as in the one marrying the prince? "I'm definitely in the wrong car," Delenda thought, but the car was already moving. She'd have to brazen it out, but what did one say to the lynch-pin of the peace effort? She settled on the generic "It's an honor to meet you, I'm Delenda Aurora Beatrix Achilleus." She figured now was the time to play up her aristocratic heritage for all it's worth.
It was unclear if Lunafreya even noticed. She seemed preoccupied, but given the circumstances it made sense.
"I understand congratulations are in order?" Delenda offered next, doing her best to keep from falling into an awkward silence.
"Yes, thank you very much. It's a great honor to marry Prince Noctis and bring hope and peace to the world."
It was definitely one of what Ardyn would call "not much of an answer" types of responses. Lunafreya seemed blank. Was she really that empty or was it just a mask? Did the thought of marrying a stranger frighten her at all? Was she really so accepting of it?
"If you don't mind me saying, Lady Lunafreya, it is quite brave of you to marry someone you don't know very well for the good of the many. I don't think I could have made that choice."
Lunafreya smiled then. "Please, call me Luna. And actually, I do know Noctis quite well. We have known each other since we were very young. I know in my heart we will get along all right."
"That's good, to be honest I wasn't comfortable with the whole arranged marriage part of this. While peace is great for us, you and Noctis have to bear the burden of it." She had the feeling she had spoken out of turn, but before she could figure out how to backpedal or change the subject, the car was stopping. They have driven through the gates of the Citidel. The "Glaive" was already opening the door for Luna and there was a set of guards outside all ready to guide her in. Delenda made her way out of the car, trying to figure out what to do next when the "Glaive" driver came over to escort her inside.
She didn't have a chance to gawk at the Citadel up close—she was brought inside before she could perceive the sheer scale of it. The anteroom she was put in was pretty impressive though. Her escort departed, leaving her to wait for whatever came next.
Delenda found it strange that Prince Noctis wasn't present at the banquet. She would have thought the event would also serve as an engagement party for Noctis and Luna but apparently that wasn't the case. Perhaps it was a security thing? Both King Regis and Emperor Aldercept were here, so it was already a top-heavy event. She had never met either of them—Ardyn always did his business with Aldercept on his own, leaving her outside. Aldercept did not attend noble events, at least the ones she had attended. He seemed unapproachable, a legacy from the old belief that Emperors were gods and above everyone else. She was surprised he didn't force the old custom of forbidding his subjects to ever look upon him.
King Regis seemed much more approachable. He was well-spoken, an affable host, and seemed to genuinely want to make everyone feel welcome. She was shocked when she was escorted to him so that he could "greet her personally."
"Please rise, my child. You are a guest here, not a subject."
She jumped up from her curtsy, startled. "That is kind of you to say, your majesty."
"I hear you are Chancellor Izunia's secretary. I must thank you for your efforts for supporting peace between our nations."
"Thank you, your majesty. I am glad that peace is upon us."
"I hope you enjoy your stay with us." And with that, he moved on. At least her dress had passed muster. Thank goodness she hadn't gone the jeans and tee shirt route, she thought, suppressing the urge to laugh hysterically.
Otherwise, the banquet was just as tedious as any aristocratic affair she had been to. Delenda would have thought it would be much more exciting since it was related to the historic peace between 2 long-standing enemies. The food was fancy-looking but tasteless, the conversation full of small talk and inane laughter. She did her part the best she could, but by the time dessert was served, she was feeling ragged and would have given anything to return to her hotel.
They were adjourning to the roof for after-dinner drinks and, from what King Regis had promised, a fireworks display to commemorate the occasion. Ardyn approached shortly after she made it upstairs. He was dressed as he always was—with his cloak and fedora, and not even a formal version of each.
He tipped his hat to her with a flourish. "Good Evening, Delenda. You are as looking as lovely as ever." His tone was oily, insincere—the same types of compliments he had been making to everyone all evening. "You made a particular impression with Luna today. I'm so glad she was able to bring you here safely. She's asked for you specifically, in fact."
"Really, sir?" She hadn't thought Luna had any opinion of her one way or the other.
He gave a sweeping gesture to the other side of the roof. "Yes, she's in the anteroom over there. You should hurry and see what she wants."
Even with the booming of the fireworks, it was quieter as she moved away from the crowd towards Luna's stronghold. She passed 2 guards on the way, who glanced at her but didn't waylay her. She knocked on the door of the room first. "Lady Lunafreya?" There was no response. Maybe she couldn't hear her because of the fireworks? She turned the knob, making as much noise as she could to announce her presence, half expecting a guard to come out and interrogate her. The door opened. The room seemed empty. She was just about to close the door and leave when she saw dainty feet sticking out from behind the settee.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed out loud as she ran to the person. It was Luna, unresponsive on the floor, blood leaving pink streaks in her blond hair. For one frozen moment, Delenda thought she was dead, until she saw the shallow rising and falling of her chest. She was unconscious then. How long had she been out? They said any longer than 30 seconds and somebody could be brain damaged for life. She knelt down and began rubbing her wrists. They did that to unconscious people, right?
"Luna, can you hear me? It's Delenda. Are you ok?" She repeated this litany but there was still no change. She couldn't do this by herself, she needed help. She rose quickly, just to see the 2 glaives from earlier entering the room.
"Oh thank God you're here! Lady Lunafreya is hurt. She needs help immediately."
The glaive surveyed Luna quickly. "Hurt you say? Try struck on the head with a blunt object. What did you use on her, a vase, a broom handle?"
"Wait! You don't think I had anything to do with this? I just found her like this."
"I saw you pass by here a few minutes ago. You are the only one who has been down here…"
But…
"Cornelia, arrest her," the glaive spoke to the other. She approached Delenda, brandishing handcuffs. Resistance was futile. Delenda stood there, fighting back tears, as Cornelia pushed her hands behind her back, cuffed her, then led her to her fate.