Chapter Ten:

The two stared shocked at each other, "Fiancée?" Elia asked.

"She's the friend you brought?" Sera gasped, eyes wide. Noctis sighed again.

Elia stared at the woman; an empty feeling blossomed where her heart was supposed to be. She shook her head as important facts stunned her as if she had been hit in the head. For a moment she had forgotten that he was prince. Princes marry princesses, one title she could never have.

"Hello." Elia murmured, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sara looked at her and threw a disdain look at Elia's glove that made Elia's hand fall back to her side. "I don't know what to say." The princess muttered, obviously it wasn't a compliment. Elia concealed a scowl as Sera turned to her fiancé, "Let's go dear." She told him linking her arm around his, "I have so much to tell you!"

Noctis glanced at Elia but nodded politely allowing Sera to lead him away. As the royal pair turned halfway around the corner Sera cast Elia a hostile look making her gawk speechless. Her mind went black, like paper, like an abyss where nothing gets out or comes in. So blank she didn't notice Myles approach her. Elia shifted her posture to another foot gripping her gloved hands tense. Why did she feel so cold all of a sudden? What depression could she have when she knew, but forgotten, that he was a prince? She never liked him. She hated him. His aloof manner in front of the advisors, and cut offs so sharp that they could prick and make bleed. Bitterness took her, she smiled triumphant but that look diminished rather quickly then she hoped. But then again, he was acting, merely doing his duty. And ff she did hate him, then why was she feeling so intimidate of him? Elia knew that it wasn't because of the strange weapon the hovered always by his side. The strange emotions swelled like water, she inhaled deeply, almost endless not sure whether to scream because of the pressure she was feeling so she exhaled. Elia forcefully tried to sidetrack out of her miserable thoughts.

"I see you've met Princess Sera." muttered Myles, his annoyance slipped through his barely moving lips.

Elia gave him a curt nod still breathless, "I didn't know he had a fiancée." The last word punched at her.

"I can see that."

She ignored that comment, much to his delight, and pushed past him walking towards her room with the old advisor right besides her. They let silence drag further on and Elia continued to walk lost in her thoughts. Pity overwhelmed her. Her mind replayed the hostile gaze of the princess over and over. Her tongue felt dry, an acid that sent her senses stinging.

Disgusted by the jealous feelings she turned to Myles as she placed her hand on the doorknob, "So, Sera, was it? What kingdom did she come from?" She didn't notice that her own hand seemed to clench tighter.

It didn't take long for him to answer, "I'll explain when we enter the room." He assured her patiently.

She sighed impatient twisting open the door and walked in. After Myles entered, she shut the door, rather loudly, "Alright. I need to know." She said, her words fuel her anger were sharp. Elia took a cup and prepared some hot water and tea expectant.

His eyes sparkled with enigmatic emotions and seated himself on a cozy chair, "She is from, where we call the kingdom of Aurum. Aurum is our sister kingdom, who once, long ago, had a crystal like ours."

"Had?" she asked pouring him a cup, "I don't quite understand." He thanked her as taking the tea graciously.

Myles stirred in his cup lost in wonder, "Well," He started, "remember when I told you that Noctis had a crystal?" He studied her shocked expression as he said his name. "What?"

"You called him Noctis."

He smiled gently, his chuckle resonating deep from his chest, "Yes, I call him that. I was once his tutor when he was a boy. He was like a son to me and I learned that by not calling him by titles, he would actually pay attention." Elia smiled, her lips glued to the tea cup lost in wonder of hearing pieces of Noctis's past. Myles's gray eyes were empty staring beyond her, his expression dreamy. He shook his head, somehow his look turned sadder.

"Anyways, I told you that Noctis has the last crystal in existence which is the reason why he wants to protect it. And the last crystal is also the reason why those intruders want to take it. And that's why there's a war.

"But long time ago, every kingdom had a crystal like Tenebrae did. But the sands of time can never be stopped and so during the wars that conflicted during then, made the kings rid their crystals for high tech weaponry instead of magic and swords. That greed for powerful, new technology made them blind for the they got rid of the most powerful thing. Their foolishness cost them their crystals."

Elia stared at the floor drinking in his swords, "And Aurum, did they exchange their crystal too?" She found her voice barely audible, close to a hushed whisper.

The sadness in his gray eyes transformed into deeper misery that astonished her. His wrinkles on his forehead marked his skin as his shoulders hunched making it seem that he had aged ten more years in a matter of seconds. She had never seen someone so down, she could almost feel his grief.

"Aurum," The name rolled off his tongue, "was attacked thirteen years ago. The kingdom was completely in ruin when we arrived once we heard the devastating news. Despite the hope that there was a survivor, there was no life anywhere, with Aurum's buildings completely broken into rubble. Noctis was very…" Myles's hesitated choosing the word carefully, "overwhelmed. After all, Aurum's princess was his bride-to-be, ever since they were born. The union of the two most, powerful kingdoms, the last ones to hold control over their crystals.

His eyes grew thoughtful, "Noctis would always smile whenever she arrived during the meeting their father's would have."

The tea in her mouth as she sipped suddenly went down the other tube. She coughed setting down her cup making Myles hit her back allowing the drink to go back to its original path. When she recovered she gasped, "Noctis? Smiling?" she coughed massaging her throat.

Then it occurred to her that she hadn't seen him smile yet. Despite the laughs she had, he didn't break a grin or let out a sound of joy of his own.

He chuckled amused by her startled face taking back his seat, "Yes, ironic isn't it. How a happy boy like he once was to become into a withdrawn more serious man like he is now? But times can do a lot to a man…and a woman"

Myles sighed.

"The King and Queen, we found, we lying in the throne room. Bodies of those murderers piled around them. There was no sign of the princess anywhere, we feared that she had been captured or even killed." He drew in a shaky breath, "The Queen was still alive, though her life was waning." Elia stopped breathing. "She said that her husband, the King, had her hidden with the princess for safety but their attackers had found her so she had sent her daughter to flee and so they were separated. She didn't know what happened to her after that.

"She died, the Queen, holding the face of a regal demeanor. The unexpected assault, the death of two of Aurum's royal family hit us all. We brought their bodies here to be buried.

Myles's shoulder slumped further, "But it hit Noctis harder then all of us combined. He cried that day and had been brought only inside when he collapsed from exhaustion, and if I believe, he cried his heart out as well. He never smiled or never cried again. It was as if, all his emotions were gone with her…."

He let out a dry sob, Elia set down her cup kneeling at his side to comfort him by stroking his arm, "Long years passed, a miserable nine years when Noctis was eighteen, his father, our king, died at a old age leaving Noctis the last and only heir to the throne. I watched him during his father's funeral as the casket was moving though; there was still no shed of a tear. Many of us, especially the council, were restless and anxious about his welfare. We wanted to break that heart of stone lodged in his chest. A couple months later, we found her."

"Sera."

"Yes," he nodded, "Our mages had searched through her memories after she had arrived, weak with hunger and seeking shelter. The news quickly spread, we had found the missing princess.

"She said she had been kidnapped after she and her mother separated. They forced her, hurt her to reveal what had happened to the crystal which the King had cleverly sealed away with magic that had cost his life. But she didn't know and so they held her for over those years to continue hunting for it. But she escaped and fled to Tenebrae.

"At first, I didn't know what to say. Happy I was for Noctis hoping to see the boy I had once taught. But as I looked at him, nothing had changed. His eyes were fierce, his personality withdrawn around her. I merely thought that he was only shy of her since he too thought that she was dead. But as the years passed on, everyone seemed happy to see her, except him."

Myles sighed gazing softly at Elia; his eyes unreadable. "I do not know what it is about Sera that makes me feel wary. But I think…. since she's the princess we thought to be dead for so long, shouldn't she have healed Noctis over his grief by now? He's suffered a lot, Noctis I mean, he's been fighting at a young age because of this war and true that he is a prince but he's also a man. Fighting and death can cause a stable man to insanity."

Elia nodded in agreement, "I know what you mean." She whispered recalling the feeling of her stomach wiggling and twisting into a knot, "I remember that from my first kill, I wanted to get sick. I thought that I was a murderer by taking a life. But then I knew that I was defending myself, that's all."

His gray eyes twinkled, "You are indeed an interesting person to be around Ms. Elia. You surprise me with your witty comments you made back in the council room. It was very nice to watch a talented woman like to show Laus his place." He let out a bark of laugh.

She shifted in her seat blushing, "I was only trying to get my voice spoken without interruption." Elia let out a small laugh, "Funny. Noctis also said how interesting it was back there."

"Really?" said Myles incredulously, eyes so wide she was afraid that they'd pop out of its socket. His surprised expression then morphed, his eyelids drooped giving her a lazy smile. "That's very interesting. I've never heard Noctis say anything like that before."

The hairs at the back of her neck prickled at his smug smile, "So?" she snapped trying to restrain some dignity which failed under Myles's gleaming eyes, "It's…its just a compliment."

"I only speak what I believe. Or see."

Flushing with embarrassment, she glanced away fastening her hair behind her ear ignoring his sparkling gaze. That was preposterous! He sounded as if he guessed that Elia liked him….which wasn't true! Noctis was a prince anyways! She was different then normal girls, the oddball. She could see it now, she told herself, The outcast and the prince. Wonderful combination.

Not!

The door behind her knocked hard; making her jump violently. Myles chuckled; she frowned at him patting her clothes nonchalantly. A knock sounded again, "May I come in?" Noctis's voice asked behind the door.

Elia flew to her feet, ignoring Myles's triumph look, opening the door, "Sorry." She apologized as Noctis brushed past her into her room.

Noctis looked at Myles, who went back to sip his tea, "Did I interrupt anything?" he inquired calmly, "I can leave."

Before she could say anything, Myles spoke up, "No, young Noct, I'm just here for a cup of tea." He placed his tea cup down, "Thanks you for your kind hospitality, Lady Elia." He inclined his head politely. Then, in a flash, he winked at her grinning broadly towards Noctis's direction before heading out the door.

She only stared after him dumbstruck, Evil old man. She clamped her teeth together.

Regaining the thought of Noctis being here, she turned. He wasn't looking at her trailing his gloved finger around Myle's tea cup. She finally understood little of what Noctis had been through. She lifted her head a notch permitting herself a smug smile. She wanted to help him, that cold prince and show him that there was more to life then he actually thinks.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting." She said as he seated himself down in a chair, "Were you waiting long?"

Noctis shook his head in reply wordlessly. "What were you two talking about?" he asked meeting her eyes.

She forced herself to breath, still muddled by his eyes. They were still that skin-chilling blue, that azure that seemed to pierce right through her like daggers.

Elia refocused, "Just talking," she replied, her tone slightly shaken, "about nonsense… and things."

The Prince showed no sign of continuing to inquire so remained quiet. His posture straightened glancing around the room, "I…" he hesitated, "…trust that this room is to your liking?"

She nodded, "Yes." She bobbed her head again more certain, "It's lovely."

Silence fell in between them. Elia fidgeted unsure of how to start. In the end of her mindless debate in her head, she ended up with her hands clasped behind her back waiting for Noctis to speak first. She felt awkward around him and the strangest thing was she didn't know why. She had seen him shirtless so why was that he seemed to scare her?

Elia inhaled, "Myles told me about what happened." She started quietly. She noticed how his posture tensed up.

She heard him exhale, "And let me guess…" Elia frowned slightly at his low tone as if he had heard that statement too many times. "You want to help me." Noctis cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, "You're going to follow me and ask that I give you answers, right?"

She winced the last word at how sharp it was. She could tell that he was annoyed, her eyes flicked downwards, "No."

Noctis raised a dark eyebrow, "No?" he repeated.

"I won't go to you," Elia said after a deep breath careful to word it out, "you'll come to me." Then she smiled, "It's like you said, friends try to understand and we are." She scratched her head, "We're friends...right?"

He tilted his head, suddenly he was in front of her towering over her by almost a foot, making her step back startled. His gaze at her was so direct and intense that she cast her eyes downward. A gloved hand entered her field of vision.

"I'd like you to be." He said.

Elia smiled at him taking his hand, small compared to his, "Then I am…Noct."

Hooray! They are official friends! *Hugs all around!*

The next chapter is going to even harden! *Cries* And I thought this one was hard. You have no IDEA how many edits I did on this one. With part or Noctis's background and everything!

Anyways Aurum (I think its pronounced 'Or-rum') means "Shining Dawn" in latin! It's supposed to contrast from Tenebrae's "Darkness/shadows" Did you know that Gold (AU) is named after Aurum?! Me? I had no idea so I like gold right now!

Please continue reading!

I REALIZED THAT I MADE A MISTAKE IN CHAPTER SIX SO PLEASE READ IT. I HAD THE SAME TWO DOCUMENTS FOR CHAPTERS FIVE AND SIX SO I CHANGED SIX TO ITS RIGHTFUL CHAPTER. MY BAD!

~Animangame02freak