Chapter 4: A Dinner Most Exquisite
The two boys had been playing video games for an hour. The game they were playing was Final Fantasy X until Noctis' turn, he got stuck fighting a guy called Seymour. Prompto had called it on Seymour being the bad guy and when they finally found out, he jumped up and down, excited that he was right. Noctis on the other hand had just thought the purple haired man was just really weird and not necessarily the bad guy. Neither of the two could figure out how to get past Seymour and his guards when they got to the battle with Seymour. So, both of them sat on the floor shoulder to shoulder against Noctis' sectional sofa and stared at the third game over screen during this battle.
"I give up." Noctis slammed his head against the sofa.
"That's not very fitting for a prince to say." Prompto joked.
"I think I can give up on a video game." Noctis snapped jokingly.
Prompto faced Noctis "But what if next time It's a war and it's too hard and after a couple of bumps in the road, you give up!" Prompto flailed his arms around dramatically.
"Dude, I would not give up if that ever happens, which it won't."
Prompto laughed at his own dramatics "But about the game, maybe we should use Lulu and Yuna would totally help us out against Seymour's elemental spells?"
"That could be it."
They both looked at the door when they heard a knock and saw Ignis standing in the doorway.
"I do hate to intrude on your "homework" your highness but dinner is done and I will be taking you home after Prompto so you are not out to late on a school night."
"Ok, Iggy. We'll be down in a sec." Noctis got up and walked over to turn off his game system.
"Very well then and I assume you want me to tell your father you were studying and not playing video games."
"Whoah! Iggy not asking you to lie or anything but that'd be cool." Noctis joked, being slightly dramatic as he learned from Prompto already.
"Just this once." Ignis winked and walked back down the hall.
"So, Prompto, I am afraid I was unable to get to know you earlier." Regis spoke after everyone was settled in at the table. "Why don't you tell me about yourself some?"
Prompto's face grew slightly red "Y- yes, your highness."
Regis interrupted before the blonde could speak more. "Please, you can call me Regis my dear boy."
Prompto's face grew a shade redder "Yes sir." The blonde paused for a moment "There's not a whole lot to say really. I live with my parents of course and I was adopted, so, I don't really know my real parents. They say it's better that I don't. They're really nice and everything, my adoptive parents but are just really busy with their job. So, they're not home as much as I'd like them to be."
"Hmm. I see. What do they do?" the king asked, genuinely interested in Prompto's parents as he knows how hard it is to hardly get to see your son.
"They're hunters." Prompto said bluntly with his head down.
Gladio was standing in his usual spot at the door with Ignis next to him. He was interested in hearing about the scrawny blonde's parent's occupation.
Noctis was shocked at what he heard "You mean like the ones that are outside of Lucis? The marshal Cor told me about them one time. Said they risk their lives to fight daemons to save others outside of the wall."
Prompto nodded "Yep, that's the one?"
Noctis looked even more shocked now "But why? They're safe from daemons in Lucis. They could have any other job they wanted."
"Noctis, respect." Regis sternly said to his son.
"Yea, but they just, they said its, please King Regis, don't take offense to this. They said it's not right that other people outside the wall are not protected. So, they feel like they have to protect them. I actually think that's how they found me once when I was young and all alone." Prompto's head fell slightly.
Regis noticed the blonde was in disarray "Please, know I don't take offense by your parent's decision, I think it is very brave and wonderful what they are doing. I can agree that it is not right others have to suffer outside the wall but the crystal does not allow further protection sadly."
Prompto's face lit up "I'll tell them you said that."
Regis chuckled "Well then, shall we eat?"
"I'm starved!" Noctis did not take long to begin devouring Ignis' food he had prepared them.
Prompto took a bite of what looked like some pasta next to his chicken wrapped in cheese and tomato sauce. When he bit into his food it melted on his taste pallet and he felt like he was drifting into a peaceful world full of bliss. He doesn't think he has ever tasted anything as good as what he was eating right now.
"This is amazing! Wow, compliments to the chef, definitely!" Prompto spoke after his first bite.
"Thank you." Ignis spoke lightly from where he was standing next to Gladiolus.
Hearing Ignis' voice left Prompto in shock. He would never have known he was the one who cooked the delicious meal. He didn't look like a cook at all to him.
The ride home was mostly quiet for Ignis and Prompto. Noctis had to stay at the Citadel to train and get ready for the next school day. Prompto sat in the back playing King's Knight. Ignis had asked before they left for the blonde's address so he could put it in the GPS.
The car was almost at Prompto's road when the brunette decided to finally speak up "So, Prompto, it seems Noctis is already quite comfortable with you, almost as if he's know you longer."
The blonde looked up and nodded.
"It's rare to see the prince actually interact with others outside of the Citadel, especially as well as he does with you. He's not good around others. he's been through a lot. When he was younger, he lost his mother, not long after, he was attacked by a daemon and in his healing process something clicked in him where he could no longer handle the classroom environment or any public environment for that matter. I feel something more happened that day, though he won't speak of it. Perhaps you could be the friend he has needed for quite some time and he will open up to you on this subject one day."
Prompto was shocked and he couldn't help but feel bad for Noctis. He never realized the daemon attack had been so close to the death of the prince's mother. He remembered how he saw Noctis crying one day instead of playing and wanted to comfort him but was too nervous. Maybe if he did, Noctis would have never shut himself off the way he did for so long and at such a young age. Perhaps it was too late for Prompto to play hero. Perhaps Luna had meant for Prompto to be with Noctis during the toughest time of his life.
The blonde held a tear back as he spoke after remembering Luna's letter "I- I've been told that before and I've promised that, that I'm going to protect him."
Ignis chuckled "Well, Gladio has that job but, if you really want to protect him he would have to ask you to be sworn into his Crownsguard. Which, I could see happening one day, if you worked out more but be warned, it is a lifetime commitment and you both have time before that decision needs to be made."
Prompto gave Ignis a slight confused look "What's a Crownsguard?"
"We protect the prince with our lives and help steer him in a clear direction so he can rule fairly and long. The day after his coronation day, there is a ceremony, where the new king and his chosen Crownsguard become bound by the power of the crystal."
"Wow. So, there's, not, like a blood ritual or something, right?"
Ignis looked horrified "No, nothing like that! When the prince has chosen a new member to be in his Crownsguard for the crystal to bound on his coronation day, that member and the prince usually gets bound in another way that is much more special."
"Ha! Igs man you make it sound like we have to have sex with the royal prince!"
Ignis' eyes became wide in shock "That is not what I meant at all! Goodness!"
Prompto laughed "Okay, okay. So, you get bound twice?"
"Yes. Emotionally and physically. Which is done by the crystal about the physical part, so get your head out of the gutter!" Ignis couldn't help but chuckle himself "For example, Noctis and Gladiolus have been bonded emotionally and await to be bound by the crystal again in three years. They were bound the day Prince Noctis saved Gladio's younger sister Iris."
Prompto was intent on listening in on Ignis' informational story "What about you and Noctis? Have you guys been bound yet?"
Ignis sighed "We have yet to be bound but it will happen in time."
"Oh." Prompto nodded and thought about how all this information he was learning was all so intriguing.
"But before you decide you want to dedicate your life at such a young age to someone you hardly know, you should think about it." Ignis paused "Say, you mentioned that you promised to someone you would protect Noctis. May I ask who or if it was anyone in particular? Surely you do not randomly say at such a young age you vow to protect your prince rather then get yourself a girl."
Prompto gulped "I don't want Noctis to know, it might make him feel weird or something. But I can trust you, right Ignis?"
Ignis nodded "Of course. I swear, I shall not speak a word."
Prompto leaned closer into the middle as if he was making sure no one would hear his secret. He told Ignis the entire story about saving Pryna and Lady Luna's letter asking him to protect Noctis from his doom.
"I see. It seems like her to say something of the sort, she has always been concerned for his highness and his family's wellbeing." Ignis arrived at Prompto's home but continued to speak after he had parked. "But you did mention she told you to be a hero and save him from darkness. I am curious myself to know what this could mean from the young Oracle."
"I am too! That's why I said I was going to protect him for her, even if I have to become this Crownsguard thing. I can't let her down!"
Ignis chuckled a bit at the blonde's determination as he saw a slight hint of himself in the blonde from when he was younger "That is very noble of you indeed Prompto. I will certainly try to look into this and try to understand it better for you and for the future. Do try and get some sleep."
Prompto was halfway out of the car as he thanked Ignis for the ride and waved him goodbye.