Evelia was making pancakes in the kitchen for a Sunday brunch, when Anastasia and Drisella stumbled into the room. Their hairs were all messed up from sleep and badly removed makeup was running from their eyes. When they noticed Evelia, they giggled and traded meaningful looks. Evelia tried to focus on the job at hand – Pouring batter on the skillet.
"Good morning," she greeted her stepsisters politely.
"It was such a lovely evening yesterday!" Anastasia began as they sat down at the table; as usual, waiting for Evelia to serve them.
"Too bad you could not attend, sister," Drisella said in a fake apologizing tone.
"Oh, you should have seen the grand ballroom! It was transformed into a magnificent theater!" Anastasia said in an overly excited tone, trying to taunt Evelia into asking more about the evening.
"Really?" Evelia said trying to feign interest. She turned the pancake over on the skillet.
"And the King!" Drisella said, prompting a cocked eyebrow to the stove from Evelia, "He is so pleasant! Oh, I wish we could have talked more, but he had to attend to other guests as well; wouldn't fair for him to pick favorites."
"And he is so handsome too! I'm sure he will ask us to dance tonight," Anastasia chirped excited. They already seemed as if they had forgotten their half-sister's presence at the room.
Evelia kept her face as blank as she could. Yes, it wasn't fair of the King to spend most of the ball evening with just one of his guests. But in good conscience, Evelia could not complain. She had had a lovely evening, as Anastasia had put it.
The music had been wonderful, the food heavenly delicious and the company most charming. Talking with Noctis was easy and Evelia felt so comfortable in his company. She did not wish to spoil her dream come true with morbid thoughts of the future.
"Evelia, pass me the jam," Drisella said in a commanding tone, waking Evelia from her daydreams.
Evelia grabbed the jam from the cupboard, not realizing the jar was not closed properly. As she turned with it, she almost tripped on her feet, making the jar fly in the air and hit the kitchen counter edge. All of its contents flew in red arc, landing on the floor, cupboard doors and Evelia's face and clothes.
Anastasia and Drisella howled from laughter.
"Cinderelia is at it again!"
"Is it a new trend to make your clothes look stained?"
Evelia stared at the chaos around her and slowly wiped the jam on her cheek with her palm, making it smear even more on her skin. It tasted sweet on her lips, a small solace in the situation. How could someone like her even dream of Noctis? Everything she touched only became ruined.
"What is happening here– Evelia!" Their mother walked into the room, hands horrified on her mouth as she saw the mess in the kitchen.
"You clumsy girl! Clean this up immediately before the berries stain anything," she commanded laying her hands on her hips.
Evelia swallowed her heavy feelings. "Yes, mother," she said in a tiny voice and blinking her glazed eyes.
She took the rag at the sink and began swiping the sticky jam from the floor. Anastasia and Drisella were snickering and eating their pancakes cheerfully. Nothing could have made the start of their day better.
It took Evelia the better half of an hour to have the kitchen clean again. Her back was aching from the bending and her hands felt soggy and wrinkled from rinsing the rag. She was eager to get into the shower to wash herself too. The jam had begun drying up on her skin in sticky clumps.
Evelia dragged her feet from the kitchen, passing by the living room and catching her stepmother's attention.
"Where do you think you're going, Evelia? Is the kitchen clean yet?" she asked and wrinkled her nose at Evelia's appearance.
"Shower, mother, and yes," Evelia replied, motioning towards her dirty face and clothing.
"Wait until your sisters have showered first. You wouldn't want them to go to the Citadel tonight without washing their hairs, would you?" Evelia's dirty outlook seemed to amuse her stepmother.
Evelia let out a small sigh. "Of course not, mother. I'll wait in my room for my turn then." She turned to leave and her stepmother shot a catty look after her.
The water boiler was empty by the time it was Evelia's turn to go wash up, so only cold water ran from the pipes. She showered as quickly as she could with as little as possible standing under the freezing water.
Miserable from the cold shower, Evelia went back to her room, biting her lip ruefully and shivering slightly. Hopefully she wouldn't catch a cold.
As hours passed by towards the evening, Evelia's heart was beating faster and louder. Her thoughts became again occupied with images of Noctis. What would he say when they met for the third time? Would they dance? Evelia had heard that the last ball evening would be again filled with dancing and apparently some speeches as the King had not yet given one.
Evelia's thoughts also trailed towards the meeting with Gentiana. What kind of dress would she conjure for her today? It would probably be something very beautiful and outstanding as it was the last evening.
Evelia was spinning around and dancing in front of the mirror, when her stepmother stopped by the door to inform her that they were leaving now.
"Have a nice evening," Evelia said suspiciously brightly, but there was no time for her stepmother to stay to inquire why she was in such a good mood. Considering the day's events, Evelia should have been feeling irrevocably down. Her positivity was irritating and the light smile on her face made her stepmother sneer.
As soon as the front door shut behind Drisella, Anastasia and their mother, Evelia leaped down the stairs two at a time and hurried to the garden.
Gentiana stood there, under the maple tree, waiting for Evelia with a smile on her lips.
"Good evening, Evelia," she greeted graciously.
"Good evening, Gentiana," Evelia said a tad out of breath from the excitement.
"Are you ready?" Gentiana asked pacing slowly forward.
Evelia nodded, watching enchanted as Gentiana's hands danced in the air, forming swirls and circles. The familiar blue glow gained some violet hues as it twirled around Evelia's body. A hem grew out from her waist, widely sliding downwards and settling at a width that was over twice broader than her shoulders.
The neckline of Evelia's shirt lowered and widened over her shoulders. Small pieces of shining gems sprouted to embed her waistline where the hem met the corset-like top. The evening gown was even more stunning and elegant than the two previous ones. It was a gorgeous light shade of lilac.
Evelia's hair rolled on a graceful, braided bun and it became littered with small gems. Her shoes looked like basic high heels, but they were actually somewhat transparent and made of glass.
"Oh, it is beautiful!" Evelia sighed as she took a spin in front of Gentiana.
Gentiana only smiled and tilted her head on the side, looking very pleased with the handiwork.
"You have given me so much, I don't know how to thank you," Evelia said stopping.
"There's no need for thanks. Go now, His Majesty is anxiously waiting for you."
Evelia's heart flipped at her words. She wanted to ask how Gentiana would know something like that, but decided to follow her advice instead and hastily leave for the Citadel.
Once again, Evelia arrived barely in time to see the beginning of the ball. Since it was the third and last night of the celebrations, the King was preparing to deliver a speech. The grand ballroom was once again mostly open space for people to mingle and dance, but there was a small platform at the end of the room that was exquisitely decorated.
Evelia walked into the ballroom, almost holding her breath. She looked around, not caring about the awed and curious looks she was already gaining due to her attire.
The decorations were once again in tones of the dawn in much contrast to the usual Lucian royal colors of black and silver. There were huge flower installations and golden vines snaked on the walls. Evelia wondered whether they had been done by magic. Surely there was nothing like that bright auric tone in natural plants.
People were happily mingling, already having met their new acquaintances from the nights before. Evelia felt a slight sting of regret – She had not really made any new friends. She had danced with some men on the first evening, but had not talked to them after that. Of course, that was because the King of Lucis had laid his eyes on her.
Nevertheless, Evelia had enjoyed herself on the ball and spending time with Noctis was surely a privilege. Even still, she knew she would weep afterwards as her princess experience would come to a permanent end. But now was not the time to think about that.
King Noctis walked over to the elevated platform. He waited for the chattering to quiet down.
"My dear Lucians," he began with a steady, poised voice," Thank you for coming tonight."
Evelia paced slowly closer. All eyes were on the King now.
"The annual celebration of the Dawn break… was not my idea," a smile tugged at the corners of Noctis's lips and some laughing followed from the audience, "But seeing all of you here tonight, it makes my heart burst with joy. First, I'd like to thank my friends–, no, my brothers. I wouldn't be standing here without them."
The audience was all quiet. Everyone knew about the three brave individuals who had stood beside the King on his journey to save Lucis.
"Thank you," Noctis said, his eyes piercing to where Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto were standing. The three of them nodded. Prompto grinned and made Noctis smile in turn. He was thankful for the pre-warning he had gotten, because even with it, Prompto felt the emotions welling up in his eyes. Gladiolus shot an amused look at him.
The audience began applauding, with a few people carefully at first, but in no time the whole room joined in. Evelia was sure she saw Prompto wiping tears from his cheeks and Gladiolus patting his shoulder comfortingly.
Noctis had to swallow before continuing his speech.
"A King is nothing without his people." He let his eyes wander around the room. "It was all of you who made this happen, my dear Lucians. I salute you, not as your King, but as a humble man, who owes everything to you," Noctis said and tilted his head in bow, "Thank you."
Again, applauding filled the room. People exchanged whispers. From what Evelia could hear, most of them were of impressed on behalf of the young King. She felt a kind of pride filling her. She was incredibly lucky having met him. Noctis was so kind and gentle soul. Lucis could not hope for a better king.
"The celebration of the Dawn break is for the people who loved everything and had nothing – Nothing, but their courage. Tonight is for you. Enjoy the ball and let us continue rebuilding Insomnia together."
Noctis ended his speech with another short bow and exited the platform, escorted with applauds. After a short moment, excited chatter filled the ballroom once again and the orchestra began climbing on the stage behind the podium.
Evelia looked around to find even one familiar face, but she could not go far before someone already asked her to dance – One dance, then another and one more with another partner. Songs were going swiftly by on the dancefloor. Evelia was having fun, but her heart ached to meet Noctis, who was stuck with talking to the guests.
Noctis kept glancing at Evelia gliding and spinning around on the dance floor. Ignis had to more than once clear his throat or cough to remind him of the ongoing conversation. Evelia looked mesmerizing in her lilac dress. No other woman in the room could even be compared to her in Noctis's mind.
As soon as the ambassador from Accordo turned to leave, Noctis was quick to excuse himself and make a beeline to Evelia. She was in the middle of a song with her third partner for the night already. The man yanked back from her in surprise of the King appearing and bowed deeply.
Evelia was going to open her mouth to say something in confusion, but then she heard Noctis's soft voice.
"Mind if I steal her away?" he asked. His hand landed lightly on Evelia's waist, making a pleasant shiver travel through her spine. The simple gesture felt so possessive, it made her heart kick wildly in an instant.
"N-not at all, Your Majesty," the man stumbled backwards and left after bowing again.
Noctis took Evelia's hand and let the other one already on her waist to circle on her side.
"Good evening," Noctis said, his eyes fixated on Evelia's. He could hardly contain his brimming smile.
"Good evening, Your Majesty," Evelia said having equally hard time not to let her smile slip into a silly simper.
"Please–"
"Ah, apologies, Noctis," she corrected with a glint in her eyes.
"How has your evening been?" Noctis asked and spun Evelia carefully around to the music, then he brought her back closer to his chest than she had been earlier.
"Oh, pleasant. Your speech was inspiring," Evelia said, barely keeping her voice from hitching in her throat because of the newly found proximity.
"Thank you. Ignis thought it was quite short." Noctis let out a quiet chuckle. His eyes were fixated on Evelia's, guzzling on her beauty.
Evelia giggled. "He keeps you in strict check."
"That he does. Or at least tries," Noctis said.
"How do you like my shoes?" Evelia asked, removing her hand from Noctis's shoulder to slightly lift her dress hem to show the incredible heels she was wearing.
"Are they made of… glass?" Noctis asked incredulously. He indeed had not seen shoes like that before and Evelia's slightly silly actions made him laugh.
"I think so," Evelia said sheepishly.
"They're beautiful. Where can you get shoes made of glass?" Noctis asked genuinely curious.
"They were a gift," Evelia confessed.
The gift's peculiarity crossed Noctis's mind, but he let the thought die down. He only wanted to focus on etching Evelia's features to his memory. The shade of lilac from her gown made her skin glow. The small gems in her hair were twinkling under the crystal chandelier's soft light, but they did not come even close to competing with the captivating brightness of her eyes.
Still, Ignis's words echoed in Noctis's ears.
"You would do well to try to meet some potential brides, Noct."
What if he had already met? Not some, but someone. Noctis looked in Evelia's eyes, so intensely that she blushed and had to avert her gaze.
"You are beautiful," Noctis husked.
The light blush spread further on Evelia's face. "Thank you," she replied quietly, still not looking at the pair of enchanting blue eyes on her. "Could we go have some drinks, please? It's really warm in here."
"Of course," Noctis said. He let his hand holding Evelia's drop, but didn't release his touch on her waist. He guided her gently away from the dance floor. Heads turned as they made their way forward and heated whispering followed them.
"He is with her, isn't he?" Ignis asked from Gladiolus.
"Huh? Yeah, he is. Like glued," Gladiolus replied. He had been keeping an eye on Noctis and Evelia dancing.
Ignis let out a thoughtful sigh. "Maybe it's time I tried out the renovated dance floor."
Gladiolus's brows shot up at him. "With who?" he asked.
"Would you mind pointing me to Noct's direction?" Ignis asked.
"Uh, sure. I'll come with you."
They walked up to the pair pouring glasses of punch for each other. Evelia was laughing sweetly at Noctis's joke as she accepted the glass. The punch was surprisingly sweet and fruity, and Noctis told Evelia it was made of Leidean oranges.
"He has an incurable sweet tooth," Ignis said, making the pair turn and leave their own little bubble where they had been immersed in.
"Good evening Your Majesty, My Lady," Ignis greeted them with bows and Gladio followed suit.
"Evelia, this is Gladiolus Amicitia, my Shield," Noctis presented.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Evelia chided and curtsied. Of course, she recognized Gladiolus from the café few days ago. A wave of anxiousness washed over her. What if he would recognize her? Would he tell Noctis that they had actually seen her in the café? How would the King react?
"The pleasure is all mine," Gladiolus said with a smile.
"How has your evening been?" Ignis asked Evelia politely.
Evelia glanced at Noctis, feeling his gaze on her. "Oh, it has been wonderful, thank you. I'm so thrilled to dance again in this grand room. And as I understand, we have you to thank for most of the arrangements."
"Just doing my duty," Ignis said smiling, "Speaking of dancing, would you care to join me for a song or two? Of course, afterwards you have finished your drink."
Noctis's hand twitched on Evelia's waist, but he kept the smile on his face.
"I would love to."
Short moment of joyous chatting and emptied punch glasses later, Evelia took Ignis's arm and guided them towards the dance floor.
Noctis looked after them, a bit sullen. Gladiolus poked his ribs with his elbow.
"She'll be back soon. Iggy just wants to chat with her alone for a moment to see what kind of a woman she is."
"I know," Noctis mumbled and filled his punch glass again.
"Please warn me if we're about to dance into the buffet table," Ignis said with a charming smile.
"Will do," Evelia promised and giggled.
Evelia led them to the side in the dance floor, where it was less crowded. Ignis was an excellent dancer, much better than Noctis. They glided effortlessly among the other pairs, not even once brushing accidentally to anyone. If Evelia had not known Ignis could not see the other dancers, she would not have ever been able to guess that he was blind.
"You are a skillful dancer, sir," Evelia said. She was shy about looking at Ignis's face and kept her eyes over his shoulder, making sure that they didn't head towards the buffet table.
"Thank you. You dance elegantly yourself too, Miss."
Ignis's praise made a light pink blush rosy Evelia's cheeks.
"You're too kind. May I ask something?" Evelia said.
"Of course, what is it?"
"I don't mean to be rude, but how did you know it was me with His Majesty?" she said, truly curious of the answer.
Ignis chuckled and spun Evelia around before replying.
"Putting aside the fact that the King has taken quite the liking to you, your perfume is very distinguishable. Sweet, but still light and refreshing. Like a cool breeze in a field of flowers," Ignis said.
"My perfume? Oh, I see… That is really impressive, sir!" Evelia laughed.
Ignis only smiled as a response. The scent moved something in his memories. How could it be possible that he had smelled that same perfume somewhere before? It had definitely been the exact same perfume on a woman, but Ignis could not bring the face into his mind.
"May I ask what do you do in the city?" Ignis said.
Evelia's heart jumped. "Oh, I'm working to save for medical studies. I wish to become a doctor," she explained.
"Really? Then I hope you the best of luck on your efforts," Ignis replied, satisfied with the answer.
"Thank you, sir. If you don't mind me asking, what are your duties as the royal advisor?" Evelia inquired.
A thoughtful expression passed through Ignis's face. "Hm, let's see… Mostly I just make sure the King attends to his meetings and takes care of his duties."
Evelia giggled softly. "Sounds like a difficult job."
"At times, yes. His Majesty can be quite good at avoiding things," Ignis replied, "He also has the tendency to fall asleep during meetings."
Evelia's eyes widened and she thought that Ignis was joking, so she laughed.
"I hope this doesn't sound impolite, but could you tell me about your family?" Ignis asked changing the subject. He was interested in knowing about Evelia's background to make sure she was being honest with the King and not feigning her interest in him.
"Of course, sir. I live with my mother and my two sisters," Evelia said, hoping to be vague enough with the information so she couldn't be recognized.
"What about your father?"
"He passed away after we moved back to Insomnia," Evelia explained. She had to blink to chase off the sudden wave of sadness.
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Ignis said. Their dance halted for a moment as the orchestra ended the song.
"Thank you. I truly miss him, but I'm doing my best to follow in his footsteps to open my own clinic one day."
Ignis bowed and Evelia curtsied before a new song began. Ignis laid his hand back on Evelia's waist and they began spinning around. The tempo of the song was a tad faster this time, making speaking harder as they had to focus on the steps and keeping their breaths steady.
Ignis's company was absolutely pleasant and Evelia thoroughly enjoyed dancing with him. She though that he was a curious man: while he was blind, there was absolutely no question that he knew exactly where they were situated on the dance floor. It made his joke about colliding with the buffet table coming true impossible.
During their short conversation, Ignis saw absolutely no reason why Noctis would not have been completely taken in with Evelia. She was a lovely woman and Ignis's instinct was telling him that her intentions were completely pure. An air of gentleness surrounded her, making her delightful company. Even Ignis found himself drawn towards wanting to incite more of those melodious laughs to bubble from her.
Ignis's thoughts were interrupted as the song neared to its end.
"Thank you for the dance, sir," Evelia said and curtsied.
"The pleasure was all mine. Would you do me the favor of guiding me to His Majesty?" Ignis asked.
"Of course, let us go find him together."
While Ignis and Evelia danced, Noctis was doing his best to avoid in getting caught up in any other than idle pleasantries. Gladiolus followed at his heels, amused at the way Noctis was constantly stealing glances at the dance floor.
"Noct, you need to chill a bit," he said and placed his hand on the King's shoulder.
"Uh, I know," Noctis said and brushed him off. He couldn't stop himself from looking at Evelia and Ignis again.
"Someone's got it bad," Gladiolus chuckled.
Noctis glared at him quickly and turned to jovially greet the next guests wanting to have a word with him.
When Ignis and Evelia finally emerged from the dance floor, Evelia's cheeks were red and she was fanning her face while laughing at the joke Ignis had told her.
Noctis hurried to take Evelia's arm and got an upraised brow from Gladiolus in reaction.
"Why don't we go out in the balcony for a moment?" Noctis suggested, eager to be rid of his following.
"Yes, please. Some fresh air would be nice," Evelia consented. "Gentlemen," she curtsied to Ignis and Gladiolus.
Noctis led her to the same balcony they had been in on the first evening of the ball. Evelia leaned on the railing and once again admired the city lights. She would never grow bored of the magical sight. Every day more and more lights were lit in Insomnia to compete with the bright stars – It was like a sea of bright red and yellow dots, blinking intermittently.
"Will you miss them?" Noctis asked, taking in Evelia's profile under the starlight.
"What do you mean?" Evelia asked and turned to look at Noctis with widened eyes. Her hands lay on the cool railing and a light gust of wind was generously fanning her face.
Noctis smirked. "The stars. When the city is fully rebuilt, you won't be able to see them down from the streets because of the light pollution," Noctis said softly.
Evelia tilted her head to once more gaze in the sky. "I will, but I know that so many more important things will come from those new lights that outshine the stars."
Noctis stared at her. "But yet again, you outshine all the stars and lights in the city tonight."
"You're making me blush," Evelia murmured, "I'm really not that special."
"Yes, you are," Noctis lifted his hand to caress Evelia's cheek. His fingers were shaking slightly.
Evelia's mouth opened to gape at the gesture. Noctis's touch was not at all unpleasant, but the sensation on her skin was gone before she really had the chance to enjoy it.
"Besides the obvious fact that you're the most beautiful woman in the whole Insomnia tonight," Noctis began, making Evelia blush even rosier, "You're wearing shoes made of glass and a gown that puts all the visiting foreign dignitaries and rich nobles to a shame. You're kind and gentle, and I can't understand how I am so lucky that you decided to attend this ball. Even less, how you are with me right now," Noctis summed up.
"You're too kind," Evelia said and managed a nervous giggle. She had to really struggle to keep her eyes from diverting away from the King's. The enchanting sapphire blue pair had a soft look in them as they regarded her. "I am truly the lucky one here. I would have never even hoped to meet you, much less spend time with you like this."
"We could probably debate about this endlessly," Noctis said with a low chuckle.
"Yes, we could, but that doesn't make your company any less desired," Evelia confessed.
"Very well then, let's talk about something else. Please tell me more about yourself," Noctis asked.
Eve was taken aback by the simple plea. During the course of the few evenings they had spent together, she had made sure that she shared as little as possible of herself. But now, in front of that direct question, what on Eos could she tell about herself? She worked in a café, and at home she was practically a servant girl to her step-siblings. She had nothing in her life that the King could possibly be interested in. If there was something noble about her life, maybe it was her dreams.
"You said you wanted to become a doctor?" Noctis continued, since Evelia was still wondering about what to say.
Evelia studied the King's warm expression. She let out a small sigh, hesitating to say her next words. "I wish to open my own practice in the future, after I have concluded my studies. A place where even the most poor could come to be treated."
Fortunately, Noctis decided to ask more about that subject instead of pursuing his first question.
"That is admirable. So have you made any concrete plans yet?" he said genuinely curious. It was no wonder someone like Evelia would want to use her skills to help people instead of for gaining personal wealth.
"Not really. It's only a far-away dream still," Evelia said, her moment of distress having passed by the effect of Noctis's warm smile.
"Is that so? Maybe we could talk about that in length someday," Noctis said.
Evelia smiled and stared into those sapphire blue eyes. A tender feeling was rolling inside her and it made her lips curl into a simper. The King of Insomnia had just subtly suggested meeting her again. Just to hear those words from him was more than she could have ever hoped for.
Noctis gazed back at Evelia, and his eyes fell on her lips that were curling into a sweet smile.
Oh by the Six, he wanted to kiss her. To feel that soft, warm skin against his, to make her smile and laugh, to hear all about her hopes and dreams and to have her in his arms. He wanted to make her his forever.
In that moment Noctis Lucis Caelum, King of Lucis, realized that, as Gladiolus had said, he had it bad. Really bad.
"Your Majesty," Ignis's demanding voice pulled Noctis and Evelia away from their dreamy stares.
Noctis cleared his throat and watched Evelia snap away from her thoughts. They had been leaning towards each other unconsciously.
"The envoy from Lestallum would like to have a word with you," Ignis said.
Evelia was grateful in that moment that Ignis could not see them – All blushed and hearts racing. Her next thought was to reproach herself for even thinking that Ignis being blind was something she had the audacity to be thankful of.
"I'll meet you at the elevators in five minutes," Noctis whispered in Evelia's ear, his breath tickling her skin.
Evelia nodded, wondering what he had meant. Ignis and Noctis left the balcony, and a moment after them, she too went back to the ballroom.
After Noctis saw Evelia slip away from the party, he stopped Ignis by gently patting his arm.
"I forgot something outside. I'll be right back."
He hurried to the balcony and after making sure no-one was looking, he summoned his sword in his hand. Noctis peered up at the next floor balcony which would lead into some guest salon, if he remembered correctly.
He plunged the sword high into the air and disappeared in a blue flash and a pop that earned some curious, but late looks from the ballroom.
Ignis was impatiently tapping his foot on the floor, when Prompto walked up to him.
"Have you seen Noct? Cid is finally here and he is waiting–" Prompto saw Ignis's vexed look, "What's wrong?"
"Do me a favor and go check if His Majesty is outside on the third balcony," Ignis asked, barely restraining his voice when he could guess the answer.
Prompto came back soon. "Nope. Not over there. Why?"
Ignis let out a deep sigh. "You might need to tell Cid that he will be received at a later time by His Majesty."
After leaving the ballroom, Evelia walked curiously to the elevators. She wondered what Noctis had in mind. She was looking at the grand hall entrance to see when he would walk out of the room, but a soft chime of one of the elevators pulled her attention.
Noctis peered from the elevator and motioned for her to come inside.
Evelia's brows shot up. She took a quick look around to make sure no-one would notice and slipped inside.
Noctis stared at her, slightly out of breath. Adrenaline was rushing in his veins and he was mentally trying to calm himself down.
"H-how?" Evelia asked astonished. She had been looking at the grand hall entrance for the whole time and not seen him move past her.
"Just a bit of magic," Noctis smirked and flashed his keycard after pressing the correct button.
Evelia blinked in wonder. They exchanged a few nervous glances and giggles.
"Where are we going?" Evelia asked when the elevator stopped a moment later.
Noctis took her hand and escorted her out. "Somewhere where we can talk without being interrupted," he replied.
Before their eyes opened the magnificent Citadel garden. Evelia had to inhale sharply at the incredible sight. All kinds of flowers were blooming, their delicate scents twirling in the air. Some of them were small and grew in clusters; others were big with only that one flower blooming from the plant. Tall bushes circled around the garden, hiding it from eye-level sight. In the middle of it all was a rather wide fountain.
"It is beautiful!" Evelia breathed. In her eagerness to explore the garden, she hurried ahead, stopping to smell a few tall flowers.
Noctis paced after her, chuckling. Seeing her genuine joy made his heart tighten – How would it be like to see that smile every single day?
Evelia turned to look at Noctis. He was going to tell her again how beautiful she looked and how she left all the flowers blooming in the garden in her shade, but the words hitched in his throat. She looked captivating, magical and Noctis was really irrevocably enamored with her.
Evelia walked back to him and put her arm around his. They began pacing slowly forward with no rush to anywhere.
"Please tell me a story from your journeys," Evelia asked.
"Hm? I'm sure there are other topics you'd rather talk about," Noctis said after clearing his throat.
"What kind of monsters did you have to fight?" Evelia was not discouraged. A light of excitement lit up in her eyes and her grip on Noctis's arm tightened as they strode onward.
Noctis sighed and a smile played on his lips.
"Very well then… Let me think," he said.
There were so many stories Noctis could have told Evelia from their journey. The beginning of their journey was a story in itself since their car had broken down practically immediately they had stepped outside Insomnia. He wanted to tell about all those times Ignis had concocted a new recipe in the middle of a heated battle, or when Prompto had wanted to stop the car to take a photograph of something.
They had fought so many kinds of monsters and daemons on their journey, that Noctis could probably not even remember all of them anymore had he tried. There was the time they had freed the Chocobo Post in Duscae from a huge behemoth threatening the chocobos. Noctis wanted to tell Evelia how they had been granted access to the chocobo races after that, and how he had easily won his companions, even though Ignis had been surprisingly good at riding the huge, yellow birds.
Thinking about all those memories made Noctis stare quietly into the distance.
"I apologize, I shouldn't have made you–" Evelia began nervously, when he had not said anything after a full minute.
"No, it's quite alright. Would you like to hear about the time we went on a hunt for a huge, monstrous bird called the Bennu?"
"Oh, yes please!" Evelia listened to Noctis's words intently. His voice was mellow and his tone soft. The pleasant memories showed as a brimming smile on his face and his expressions were more animated than Evelia had seen before as he kept telling the story.
"Then it finally took off from the ground, so I had to go after it."
"You can fly?" Evelia gasped.
Noctis laughed at her reaction. "Not really fly fly, but it's a part of the magic that goes down in the Lucis Caelum line."
Evelia stared at him in awe. "I would love to hear more about your magic," she murmured softly.
"I could tell you some other time," Noctis said smirking.
Evelia nodded eagerly, but her heart sank a bit. This was already the second time that Noctis had suggested that they could meet again after the celebrations were over. How could he possibly have any other intention than being kind to her? Maybe he even hoped that Evelia wouldn't ever take the chance? She was just lowly café worker after all. She could never have a life with the King. The thought of having to watch him falling in love with someone of noble birth or get married was devastating. Spending more time with him would only work to make Evelia more miserable later, when they would eventually have to part.
She had only this moment – This one last evening of playing the princess before returning to her everyday life. Evelia decided she would do everything in her power to make her dream of becoming a doctor come true. That would require a lot of effort. Maybe working two jobs and hiding her income from her greedy step-family. She could do it.
Then maybe, just maybe, she would feel worthy enough to approach Noctis again.
They sat down on the edge of the quietly purling fountain. Evelia smoothed the wrinkles on her dress hem and turned her head to look at Noctis. He wore a gentle and genuine smile as he regarded her quietly. Hesitantly, he raised his slightly trembling hand to cup Evelia's face.
"I could stare at you all night," Noctis breathed and stroked her jawline with his fingers. An endearing shade of light pink flushed her cheeks.
Evelia let her eyes fall down. She leaned her head lightly against Noctis's touch. His fingers descended to tilt her face up by her chin. He shifted, moving closer to Evelia.
She could barely breathe. Her fingers found Noctis's hand resting on the marble surface, shyly intertwining them together. He leaned in closer so slowly that Evelia would have ample time to withdraw if she found his advances unwanted. Their eyes searched each other in timid longing.
Noctis's scent filled Evelia's head as his breath tingled on her skin. She was frozen still, waiting to feel the touch on her lips. She closed her eyes.
Evelia winced at the sound of series of blasts, and Noctis yanked back, his gaze shooting towards the sky where bright red and yellow flares made the stars seem pale.
"It's the fireworks," he said and let out a breathy chuckle. What a timing.
Evelia inhaled sharply. The fireworks were supposed to start at midnight. She had to leave immediately! She pulled her hand from Noctis's and stood up.
"I'm sorry, I need to go!" Evelia uttered in despair and dashed towards the elevator. Noctis didn't have time to react with words at her sudden actions. It took him three confused seconds too long to jump up and hurry after her.
The elevator they had arrived by was still in the floor and Evelia slipped in it, repeatedly pressing the button to close the doors before the King would follow her. Noctis was left to bash the elevator call button in disbelief and worry for what had come over Evelia.
Evelia ran across the entrance hall and stumbled at the top of the stairs. She kicked the glass shoes off her feet, so she wouldn't trip or stumble anymore.
It was over now for her part. She could only wait for the reality of Monday morning to hit her. Maybe she could sometime catch a glimpse of the King to admire him from afar.
By the time Noctis squeezed through the barely open elevator doors and warped through the hall, Evelia was already gone. He jogged the stairs down, trying to see where she had disappeared.
"Is everything in order, Your Majesty?" one of the guards at the root of the stairs asked.
"Did you see where the woman went who left the Citadel just now?" Noctis asked still looking to every possible direction.
"A woman?" the guard asked astounded.
"Yes, wearing a lilac dress."
"Apologies, Your Majesty. None of tonight's guests have passed through here."
Noctis plodded the stairs back up, disappointed. Then he noticed the glass shoe resting on the stone surface. He hurried to pick it up.
"This is Evelia's," he murmured to himself. He kept the shoe tightly in his hand and went back inside to find his advisor.
"Ignis, I need to find one of the guests," Noctis said resolutely.
"Oh, who did you lose?" Gladiolus asked as he happened to be talking with Ignis when the King arrived.
"Evelia."
"Already? You owe me money, Ignis," Gladiolus said chuckling, "You're hopeless, Noct."
Noctis wrinkled his nose annoyed. "She just… left." A wave of sadness and despair washed over him. Had he really done something wrong? Had he misread so badly her signals and scared her off with his unwanted advances?
"And did you do something to scare her away?" Ignis asked cocking an eyebrow.
Noctis blushed. "Never mind that. I need to find her."
"Well, that should be easy as the Council Secretary's office has the addresses of all guests. What's her last name?" Ignis asked.
"Uh…"
"You didn't ask her name?!" Gladiolus howled.
"How was I supposed to know she would slip away from me just when we… were about to–, uh, nothing," Noctis's voice trailed off into an uncomprehend mumbling and he blushed furiously. Gladiolus laughed and Ignis let out an exasperated sigh.
"Very well, Your Majesty. We'll find her, though it might take some time to go through the whole guest list."
"What's that you got there? Is it a shoe?" Gladiolus asked nodding towards Evelia's heel in Noctis's hand.
"Yeah, it's hers. She dropped it," he explained.
"She dropped her shoe running away from you? And didn't even bother to return to pick it up? This is hilarious," Gladiolus was laughing with tears of joy rolling down on his cheeks.
"Shut up, Gladio," Noctis muttered.
"You know, now that I think of it, she did look familiar," Gladiolus said slowly, rubbing his chin after calming down.
Noctis's brows shot up. "From where?"
"Uh, you remember the café we went to the other day? She looked just like the clerk who served us there."
Noctis stared at the glass shoe with a blank face. Could it really be? Now that he thought about it, there had been something familiar about Evelia, but since he met dozens of new people every week, or sometimes even in a day, he had paid no mind to the feeling. Maybe he should have.
He would definitely need to visit that café again.