Luna bid Noctis and Gladiolus farewell before the limo door was closed and the car was slowly making its way through the crowded roads of Insomnia.
The party had been wonderful. The food was amazing, the music was nice, and the company had been more than pleasurable, even meeting and socializing with a few members of Regis' kingsglaive.
But the pain in her heart over her lost love was still fresh in her mind and her heart. She kept her gaze through the tinted glass of the car window, watching the residents of the great city. Even though it was two in the morning, the city was still fairly lively, with lots of people roaming about or clubbing or shopping. Luna could hear and feel the pulses of the base from whatever music was playing in a building nearby and it helped to slow her own racing heartbeat. She closed her eyes and focused solely on it, letting the feeling flow through her and blocked out everything else.
It were times like these she wished she was a normal girl. Not a princess, not an oracle, but a regular teenager who could go out with friends and take in everything the various nations had to offer. Alone and free. No obligations, no overprotective brothers, no creepy chancellors.
"Forgive me for saying so, My Lady, but your eyes are looking a little red around the edges and you don't seem a beautiful as you were before this trip. Have you, perhaps, been crying tonight?" Ardyn's sickly sweet and gruff voice cut through Lunafreya's tranquility like a hot knife through butter.
She repressed saying anything snappy by biting the inside of her cheek. It wasn't becoming of her to snap at the man, and if she did she would never hear the end of it from Ravus. "No offense given, chancellor, I assure you. The hour is late. I'm just tired, I suppose."
Ardyn smiled that same smile he always did, the one practically dripping with false good intentions. "I see. Feel free to take a nap if you'd like. I'll be right by your side, to protect you through your slumber, I assure you."
As tempting as the notion was, she didn't feel comfortable sleeping next to the man, so she refrained. Ever since leaving the party, the alpha had been grinning from ear to ear, looking at the wine glass in his hand as if he was deep in remembering something good that had happened to him, instead of actually drinking the liquid. It made Lunafreya feel uneasy. She was getting a very ominous vibe.
"You seem happy tonight… Did something good happen, chancellor?"
He chuckled. "You could say so, My Lady. I suppose it is something very good…"
She crinkled her nose at the strong scent of self-satisfaction that filled the limo along with his natural alpha scent. "Mind telling me what happened?"
His grin turned into a smirk as he turned to look in her direction. His golden eyes were sparkling with a mischief the made a shiver go down Lunafreya's back. It was unnerving. "Nothing too significant, I assure you… But I have learned quite a few new things tonight… Knowledge is power, Lunafreya. And power is everything."
Luna merely nodded and ended the conversation there, not wanting to talk to the cryptic man further. She focused her gaze outside again as they passed through the towering city walls and into Hammerhead. She wondered what the man had been talking about, though. Could he had somehow overheard her conversation with Noctis? Surely not. They had been alone. She was sure of it.
She smelt something, then. Barely there, almost completely gone. Just a small whiff. She perked up a bit and shot him a side-long glance. She had only known Prompto for a few moments, but she was very good at distinguishing scents and that had definitely been Prompto Argentum's. A strong feeling of uneasiness sat in her stomach and she swallowed. He had done something to Prompto, she was sure of it. But the smell was so faint, it couldn't have been anything too bad… right?
She hoped so, at least.
…
Ravus awoke feeling less than well-rested. He usually did, what with all of the extra duties he was picking up and the late nights he was spending going through documents. Even so, he sat up and stretched, looking to the place on the bed where his mate had slept alongside him.
Se smiled to himself. She was already gone, the only thing remaining being her rumpled sheets and strewn-about pillows. Aranea had always been an early riser naturally from her daemon-hunting days. He wished she would allow her body more time to rest, but she was a stubborn woman and held pride in her duties.
He heard the sound of running water and the strong smell or rose petals wafting in from their bathroom and he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and made his way there. He smiled and leaned a shoulder against the door frame as he gazed over his mate, soaking comfortably in the deep bathtub, rose petals dancing over the ripples in the surface as she turned the running water off with a foot. She looked so serene and beautiful, her hair matted to her face and droplets of water running down her silky skin. Her belly, shoulders, and head were the only parts of her that was not submerged in the water.
Aranea heard a soft chuckle from the entrance to their bathroom and looked up, giving her mate a fond smile. "Something funny?"
Ravus just shook his head and moved to sit on the edge of the tub. "Nothing, really. Just thinking about you. How are you feeling, Love?"
"Much better, now that you've decided to grace us with your presence today for once. This must be a rare treat." She splayed a hand out on her protruding belly and rubbed it idly. "Isn't that right, boys?"
Ravus smiled softly and reached out to cover the hand on her stomach with his own. He could feel one of the babies kick. "Good morning.", he called to them and Aranea snorted. "…Did you come up with names for them yet?"
"Well, I was considering 'Aerus' and 'Vor'… what do you think, Ravus?"
"I think any names you decide will be wonderful, Aranea…" He bent down to lay a kiss on her temple. "…Mind if I join you?"
The ex-hunter laughed and pushed him away playfully. "Your fat ass in here with me? I don't think there's a tub big enough for that!" She teased, but moved so that he had room to slip in if he pleased. "Yeah, sure. Why not? You could use the bath. You smell like paperwork and boredom."
Ravus pulled off his sleepwear and stepped into the warm water behind his mate, sitting to have her resting between his legs, her back against his chest. He pulled her into a hug. "You're about to burst."
"Ughhh, I feel like I'm going to burst." She grumbled, "You're lucky I love you. Having twins is torture."
The alpha chuckled. "Well, I suppose it's good that they'll be due soon then, yeah?"
The omega nodded. "Yeah…" She turned to deliver a kiss to his cheek. "How long are you able to relax like this today?"
The prince grumbled. "Only just for now, unfortunately. I have to meet with the Chancellor today before going about my daily obligations and helping mother."
Aranea hummed. "All work and no play makes Aranea bored out of her fucking mind... I don't know how you do it, Ravus."
"It's only going to get worse when I fully take over the throne…" He kissed her neck. "…Will you wait for me, then?"
"Are you kidding me? Spending almost all my time out of your sight, not having to hear your grumpy voice in my ears? It'll be like a Gods-sent vacation!" The woman laughed heartily and gave him a gentle pat on the arm. "Just playing, of course. I'll miss being around you… A bit."
He smiled, used to her jokes and sarcasm to show her affection. He knew she would miss him deeply. "I love you too."
…
Ravus found Ardyn in the throne room, next to Queen Sylva, as he usually was. He discreetly nodded to him, and then in the direction of the library. Ardyn nodded back, signaling that he understood they were to meet there. The chancellor excused himself from the queen's side and followed the prince inside, closing the doors behind him.
"A fine morning it is today, wouldn't you say so, Prince Ravus?"
"Cut the formalities, Chancellor. You know why we're here, and I'm a very busy man, as of late..." He watched as Ardyn's wry smile faltered a bit. "What did you dig up while you and my sister were in Insomnia."
"Prince Noctis has a new retainer."
The prince perked up at that, furrowing his brows in curiosity. "Noctis hasn't picked another retainer since childhood…" A very unexpected bit of knowledge, indeed. "…Who is it?"
Ardyn's grin came back full-force and he made a show of puffing himself up and crossing his arms over his chest. "A commoner from Lestallum, from what I gathered through my… sources."
"A mere commoner? For what purpose?"
"Well, My Prince… The boy is an omega…"
Ravus frowned and clenched his fists at his side. An omega retainer was practically unheard of for royalty. They were considered a liability over anything, because of their tempting smell and unavoidable days-long heats. Having an omega as a retainer would only make sense if they were basically being used as human se toys. The thought angered Ravus. "That Insomnian brat has a little whore in his group, despite the fact that he is destined for Lunafreya?! …Does the boy have no decency?!"
Ardyn shrugged. "Well, there is no guarantee that this is what the boy is there for… After all, there is another alpha alongside the prince in their little group. Although… regardless of fact or fiction, it would cause an uproar in the headlines… And it would be just the leverage you need to call off this little engagement…"
Ravus nodded. "That, it is…" Knowledge like this couldn't just be let out. It needed time to simmer, grow credibility. Make it believable to the public. Anything said so early in Prompto's position as retainer would only be written off as a rumor or a ploy for attention. No, they needed time. Some form of incriminating evidence. Or at least evidence that could be easily seen as a secret romance. "Wait a while. Give it some time. We will sit on this for a bit. When the time is right, I want you to bring this story to every reporter and newspaper you can find. And bring evidence. Something. Anything to make it believable." Ravus' look he gave to Ardyn was pure steel, unrelenting and sharp.
The chancellor bowed deeply, taking off his fedora as he did so. "As you wish, Your Highness…"