*flops over* Guys, this new job is killing me halp.


The drive to the Disc of Cauthess wasn't a terribly long one, but it was long enough that they would run out of gas well before reaching it, and fuel wasn't their only concern. They had basic supplies, but the remaining gil Ignis had earned was dwindling. Fortunately, they would still have enough left for a room that night if the price was close to that of the hotel in Longwythe.

Ignis pulled his gaze from the road to check on the Princess. Now that the misery caused by his sickness had mostly faded, the silent car ride was much more odd. He kept expecting Prompto to strike up some idle chatter with Noctis, but no. Even Pryna was entirely silent, curled up in a ball in the back seat as she slept through the drive. Actually… he supposed that was rather close to Noctis' usual behavior after all.

Lady Lunafreya, though…

She wasn't merely gazing out the window to pass the time – she was taking in every detail of the trees and slopes that made up the landscape around them.

Ah, yes, of course. She'd been a prisoner of the Empire for the last twelve years, kept isolated in Tenbebrae. It was no wonder she was enraptured by the sights the world had to offer outside of her home country.

She looked entirely at ease, resting in her seat, donned in her new, more casual white dress. The shoulder of Ignis' stolen uniform could be sewn, but her dress had been beyond the help of a simple mend.

Still, despite the joy she was finding, he was going to have to interrupt her. "It's getting rather dark out – would you mind checking the map for any possible lodgings nearby?"

"Of course." If she was bothered by being interrupted, she showed no sign of it, pulling out their newly purchased map without hesitation. "There aren't any hotels close, but there's a station not far ahead."

A station would do. Caravans were cheaper anyway–

Ignis slammed on the brakes, swerving to the right and into the low grass as he narrowly avoided running over the man standing in the middle of the road. Ignis' right arm shot out, keeping the Princess' shoulders back against her seat – a move he'd always been prepared to use on Noct or even Prompto.

The car's wheels tossed up a cloud of dirt around them as they finally came to a stop.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes. Fine." Lady Lunafreya's voice was as composed as ever, but he could feel her heartbeat rapidly thrumming away against his arm. Not that that wasn't expected. His own heartbeat was faster than normal as well.

Ignis withdrew his arm, clicking the button for his seatbelt before pushing his door open. "Stay here."

"Help! Please help me!" The man in the middle of the road was obscured by the dust now in the air, but Ignis could just make out the shape of a girl in his arms.

Ignis had a potion and a dagger equally ready as his feet hit the asphalt. He wouldn't put a trap such as this past the Empire.

"Oh, thank the Six!" The man stumbled towards him, his form taking on detail as the dust thinned. "My daughter – she's sick and our car broke down while I was trying to get her to a doctor!"

Ignis' hand stilled around the potion in his coat. The man was telling the truth, but no normal curatives would help his daughter. "There is nothing a doctor can do against the Starscourge."

The car door on Lady Lunafreya's side opened, and Ignis swallowed a protest. Had it been Noctis, he would have said something, but he couldn't prevent the Oracle from fulfilling part of her calling.

The man's eyes bulged out as he recognized her. "L-Lady Lunafreya?"

"Let me see her."

The man lowered his daughter to the ground, and Ignis refrained from another comment on how there was probably a better place for this than the middle of the road.

Lady Lunafreya placed her hands on both sides of the girl's face, her fingertips humming with golden magic as she rested her forehead to the girl's. "Blessed Stars of life and light…" she whispered softly, the humming of her magic growing too loud for him to make out more.

It was an outstanding sight to behold. He was hardly a stranger to magic, but this magic was vastly different from what he was used to. A comforting warmth seemed to run through him just from being in proximity, and he knew he'd treasure his memory of the opportunity for a long time to come.

He couldn't help but notice, however, the slight tiredness that had formed in the corners of Lady Lunafreya's eyes that he was certain hadn't been there before.

Precisely how much did the Oracle's healing abilities take out of her?


It seemed their funds would last a bit longer since the man had insisted on footing their bill for the night in payment for his daughter's life, but Ignis still hadn't been able to turn in as early as he would have liked. Still, the smaller hunt he undertook was preferable to what he'd had to endure the day before, and Pynra happily welcomed him back as he returned to the caravan.

Lady Lunafreya gave him a scrutinizing look over when he entered – likely checking to see if he'd acquired any more injuries. "Another hunt?"

"Indeed." Ignis laid the sewing kit he'd just purchased on his bed, and then scowled at the plate of… "food" resting on her lap. "What is that?"

"Dinner?" The Princess held the plate out.

This was the dinner that came with the caravan?

"Not on my watch, it certainly isn't." Ignis performed a quick cost calculation of possible dishes in his head. Well worth it. "Don't eat that. I'll return shortly."

Having taken note of the station's stock when he purchased the sewing kit before, Ignis made quick work collecting the ingredients he needed and returned to the caravan once again. The caravan was only stocked with one pot and pan, but it was enough, and he was more than a little pleased when Lady Lunafreya's perked up upon her first bite.

"This is excellent," she complimented. "I see Noctis wasn't exaggerating with his high praise for your cooking."

Ignis' fork stabbed into his first bite, but it remained on the plate. It was good to hear that complaints about vegetables weren't the only things Noct said about his culinary skills. "Thank you."

They'd both eaten around half of their meals when she spoke again. "If you intend to keep undertaking hunts, I should join you. It would do both of us well if I were able to better defend myself."

Well, he couldn't argue with that. The Empire could strike at any moment, and he might not be able to protect her against greater numbers. Throwing her into battle against wild animals or daemons to get her experience was hardly a good idea, though.

He gave her a nod. "Then I should like to test your prowess with your trident when we stop for the day tomorrow."

"Of course." Another several minutes of silence passed between them before she gestured to the bag he'd brought the ingredients back in. "Are those playing cards?"

"Yes." Playing solitaire helped him think clearly and relax, and cards were inexpensive, so he'd grabbed a deck at the station.

She smiled. "Would you care for a game before we both turn in for the night?"

Full of surprises, this woman. He wouldn't have thought her one to suggest games. "I wouldn't object."

After the dishes were clean, that was. No matter how poor their food was, Ignis was not going to leave their hosts a mess to clean.


Their card game hadn't lasted long. Ignis set his hand down with a chuckle when Lady Lunafreya finally nodded off during their third round.

"A match made by the Six," he mused to himself, gently setting a blanket from her bed over her shoulders. Like cats, these two royals were.

Pryna whined softly, as though agreeing with him as she snuggled up to her owner's feet.

Ignis gathered the cards and flicked off the caravan's light, retreating to the light from the station that poured in through the widow. He undid his uniform's coat, shrugging it off and grabbing his sewing kit. If he was going to keep wearing this uniform, it was certainly going to look its best.


GUYYSS, I'm SUPER excited for the next chapter! :D :D :D

Also, a shout out to my beta for updating for me last week while I was at work!