Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting

Request for: MsChievous

Summary: When King Regis has to meet with Emperor Iedolas, he brings with him an unexpected guest, one Noctis didn't expect to grow so attached to so quickly.

websky: YESSSSS, they are some of the most fun to write. OwO I think we all like it better when Prompto is the one in danger. XD And, yes, it's good he finally didn't act like he was fine, the stubborn nugget.

Noctis stood there, back against the wall on his father's left side with his hands clasped in front of him. The raven fidgeted on the spot, showing his clear disdain at having to wear such uncomfortable garments. "Do try to stand still," Regis sighed, frustrated with his son's lack of professionalism. "Our guests will be here at any moment, and I don't want you offending them in any way."

"Well, that wouldn't be an issue if I were allowed to wear something less stiff," the prince replied. "What are these things made of, cardboard?" he bit out, rolling his shoulders back and shaking his legs one at a time.

The younger man straightened instantly as the door creaked open, that and the warning glance he received from the king, daring him to continue with his incessant complaints. "Emperor Iedolas," the king greeted, warm smile lifting his features as well as the atmosphere in the room. "And this must be…" he questioned, switching his attention to the young blond man that accompanied him.

"Prince Argentum," the younger man replied, bowing his head timidly, an expression of uneases on his face. "Prompto Argentum," he said, giving his full name.

"Prince?" Regis repeated to himself, confused. Last he heard, the emperor didn't have a son. "I don't seem to recall word of an 'Argentum' joining us today," he deadpanned, brows knit together as he awaited an explanation.

Iedolas simply smiled back. "I hope it's not a problem. You have your heir present, I thought it only natural to bring my own." He raised his attention back up and gazed at the other leader, smirking at the loss portrayed there. "I do hope that's not an issue; if it is, I can ask the boy to step out," he offered, already raising a hand to make the call.

But, Regis had his own raised in objection. "No, it's alright. I just...didn't expect it is all." As he got to the point of their meeting, Noctis found himself paying more attention to the other prince than to the actual conversation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was off about the whole thing. Were the two of them related? They looked nothing alike, and even their last names were different. Perhaps he was adopted, that was the best reasoning he could come up with.

The raven swiftly averted his gaze when his prying eye was noticed, but he tried his best to play it off as if he were just glancing around and happened to look at him. Slowly, his gaze drifted back over, and luckily the blond was staring at the floor once again. He, too, looked agonizingly out of place, like he didn't belong there, or was really not into it.

"-oct Noct!" Regis said sternly, causing his son to jump and whip his attention towards him. "The two of us wish to discuss things in private. Be a good host and show Argentum around the place. And please, do stay within the estate, we don't need to draw unwanted attention."

The other scoffed at the accusation, like he would be foolish enough to wander off at a time like this, ot with someone of that caliber accompanying him. "Yeah, I got it." "Y-Your majesty," he added disdainfully when he got a sideways glance. He descended the stairs, taking them one at a time out of fear of losing his balance in this unnatural apparel. Noctis still didn't understand what the point of such frivolous clothing was, it wasn't like they were going out in public or anything.

"If you will," he said as he strolled up to the blond, standing straight as he approached him. He watched in strange curiosity as he looked to the emperor for permission, waiting until the elderly man nodded. And even then, he was hesitant about stepping away. As the two of the walked, it was easy to pick up on Prompto's tense demeanor, his forced steps and terse breathing. If he didn't know better, he'd say this behavior was practiced, engraved into him.

"Prince Noctis," the small and restrained voice caught him off guard, but he gave his undivided attention. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm, uh, well, I'm not used to these types of environments. Things in the Empire. They're different to put it simply." He cast a couple of cautious looks back, making sure his words weren't heard.

The raven raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder as well. They were in the clear, and in a few more steps, they were out of the room, doors sliding shut behind them. The moment they were cut off from the others, the blond released a breath, his muscles relaxing a tad amount.

"Is everything alright?" Noctis asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. This was just plain odd. Not acting like royalty was one thing, but this kind of behavior was just pure uncanny.

The Niff prince perked up at the question, and his answer came far too fast. "Y-Yeah, everything's fine, why do you ask?" Again, he came off as nervous, like he did something wrong.

Noctis raised his hands for him to calm down. "Nothing, you just seem uncomfortable is all," he clarified. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of where to even take him. What was he even into? Everything he thought of was either too formal or too casual, and there were too many people everywhere which only made the situation more forced. "You wanna, maybe get some fresh air?" he offered, almost slapping himself for how stupid that sounded out loud.

"Yeah," Prompto replied a little too eagerly. "Yeah, I think that would be great."

The prince nodded. "Alright, well, it's this way," he waved his hand and started heading in the direction of their garden. It was the best they could do without leaving the premises. "It's nothing too spectacular, but hey, it's a nice place to go when you need to think."

The other said nothing, merely fell into his own world and cut himself off as they made their way through the various halls. As soon as the stepped out, Prompto froze on the spot, mouth slightly open in awe. And it took Noctis a moment to realize he was simply breathtaken by the sight of it. "You act like you've never seen a garden before," he chuckled lightly.

He was more than a little surprised when the blond shook his head. "Never one like this before. We have indoor gardens, but that's about it." He caught the look of disbelief on the other's face. "Well, where I'm from, it's you know, not really foliage friendly," he elaborated.

"But, what about places like Tenebrae?" Noctis asked.

"Yeah, but I've never been there," Prompto muttered, scratching the back of his head. Absentmindedly, he strolled forward, reaching out with his hand to brush his fingertips against some of the leaves. "In fact, this is the first time I've been anywhere other than where I… where I grew up," he stuttered, a flash of worry fluttering over his features.

The raven paused, now really puzzled about what was going on. "I don't mean to stick my nose in other people's business. But, I was wondering…" he hesitated, questioning whether or not this was a good idea. "I was wondering what your relationship was...with the emperor, I mean."

At that, the blond drew his hand back in as if burned by the plants, his face twisting into a mask of unease. "It's complicated," he muttered, not explaining more than that.

"You look and act nothing like him. Are you adopted? Are you actually his so-"

"I said it's complicated!" the other snapped, spinning around to face him. "Oh! I'm sorry," he immediately apologized, expression stricken with guilt at his outburst. "You must forgive me, it's just...a difficult arrangement to talk about." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Noctis held both hands up in surrender. "It's alright, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just found it strange is all. You just don't seem, comfortable."

"Like I said, this is my first time away from the place, so of course I'm going to be out of place," he replied defensively, eyes wide and unblinking as his stare bore down on the other. Noctis shuddered under it, a little uneasy by the intensity of it. Ok, he understood, it was a sore subject.

"Understood," he replied, smiling anxiously. He needed to change the subject, think of something that was safe to talk about, anything to shift the souring atmosphere from what it was. "So, about this garden," he breathed out longingly, "it was actually my mother who started it, or that's what I hear anyway," he shrugged. "Apparently she would spend hours out of her days out here. I think that's why I like it down here so much."

He glanced back to the blond, finding him again beyond fascinated by the various plants, his hands glancing over them tenderly. "They're beautiful," he sighed, hovering his nose just above one of them and taking a sniff of it. "Whoa, they really do smell just as good as I heard."

"What about you?" the raven asked with restraint, afraid of hitting another sore spot.

"What about me?" he asked innocently.

Noctis' eyes shifted from side to side. "Your mother, where is she?" He watched as something different moved behind those orbs of ocean, something a bit more distant and sorrowful.

"I, uh, I dunno," he answered honestly. "I never met her, and I've never heard anything about her. But, then again, I never thought to ask, I never thought about it myself." He drifted over to the nearest bench and lowered himself onto it, the thousand yard stare still present on his face. "It's alright though, it's never bothered me." There was something there though, something that told Noct there was more to it than he was letting on.

And damn he wanted straight answers, but with how he reacted a moment ago, he knew that wasn't a good idea. "Oh, I see," he muttered, setting himself next to the other, then something unexpected happened, the other kept talking.

"Actually...I, it's hard to say, you can't say anything," he looked to the other, waiting until he got that nod of approval. "Well, you see, I'm not like you," he admitted, already sounding ashamed to say it. "It's like guessed, I wasn't born into this role, I'm not of royal descent. As far as I'm concerned, I don't even belong next to the emperor's side. But, he needed an heir, and they said I was the best candidate, so here I am. A fake prince."

Noctis didn't know how to respond. Hell, he didn't know how to process what he just heard. He had his suspicion, but to learn that it was weighing that heavily on Prompto's mind, it was a lot to take in. Sure, he just met this guy, but somehow he felt close to him after just a short time.

"Well, I know what you mean about feeling like you're not right for the position," he opted for. "And, I was born into it, so what does that mean for me?" He managed to get a small chuckle out of the other for that comment. It was better than him snapping and getting defensive, that was for sure. "I guess it's just something we both have to grow into," he sighed out, "even if we don't want to or don't feel right for it."

"I suppose," Prompto agreed, leaning back with a sigh and averting his gaze to the sky above. "But still, there's more to it than that, but that's best left until another time. It's too much to go over at the moment, and I'm afraid of being overheard," his voice was low and cautious. "You can't even let others know I told you that little bit, alright? It may seem insignificant, but others can't know."

"Then why did you tell me?" Noctis asked. "I'm with the enemy aren't I? And, you just met me, so why tell me this stuff?"

The blond stiffened at that, "I, I'm not sure, I guess I felt I could trust you with it. And, I can't keep it all to myself anymore, it's starting to eat at me," he explained, voice trembling the longer he spoke for. "And, I don't know why, but I'm certain you wouldn't say a word to anyone, I can just tell."

"Well, you got me there," the raven shrugged. "Your secret is safe with me." He leaned back as well, and they fell into a comfortable silence, both of them basking in the peaceful aroma of this place, and soaking in its relaxing aura. He cracked an eye open as a butterfly fluttered by, landing on the shoulder of the blond without his knowledge. The other watched as it sat there for a time before flying off, leaving its temporary perch completely unaware of its visit.

After a few more minutes, Prompto took a deep breath and slowly released it. "I think it's about time we get going, I'm sure they should be finishing up soon. And, Emperor Iedolas doesn't like to be kept waiting," he announced, his solemn cloud reforming over his head.

"Right," Noctis muttered, pushing himself up after the other. "Let's get going then, it takes a few minutes to get back there." If the tone of his voice meant anything, then upsetting that man was the last thing any of them wanted to do. He lead the way with Prompto close behind, the closer they got, the more tense his steps and the more stiff his breathing became. It was clear now that he was completely terrified of going back, but he had no choice.

Before they knew it, they were back in front of the throne room where they stood and waited for at least another thirty minutes before the doors were pushed open, the emperor strolling out the moment he was able to get through. He paused momentarily at the sight of the two of them standing together. And the look the elder gave the blond, it was unsettling, borderline disgust.

"Argentum," he said with a clap of his hands. With that, the guy moved near robotically, bowing to Noctis and uttering a 'thank you' as he fell back in line next to his leader, standing stiffly by his side. "Noctis," he greeted in passing, giving a short and curt nod, but the look in his eye was anything except friendly. It was official, he did not like this man in the slightest. Even being near him gave him weird vibes.

Prompto gave him one more concerned look before he was lead away, taken from the citadel to head back to their home. For a few seconds after they were out of view, Noctis stared after them, his chest unnaturally tight. He wasn't sure why, but he worried about the guy, what it was he had to go through over there. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been pleasant. Taking a deep breath, he glanced towards the throne room where his own father resided and felt a swell of fortune.

Shaking his head, he strolled in and hesitated for a fraction of a second when he laid eyes on King Regis' his face buried against his hand. "What? Meeting give you a headache?" the raven asked, a sly smile on his face.

"Something like that," he replied, lifting his gaze to return the amused expression. "Just made a few arrangements for the treaty signing. We've settled on an earlier date," he informed, appearing more stressed by by the second.

"And...the prince?" Noctis asked, his concern not hidden in the slightest. But, he didn't care how obvious he was being.

Regis raised a brow at the question. "Argentum? What about him?"

"Is Prompto coming back, there's more I wanted to talk to him about, so I was wondering if he was coming for that as well."

"We didn't mention that, but I would assume so, it is a major happening after all, something that would be of importance for all those in power. But, perhaps I should remind you that you won't be present for that. If you recall, you have other matters to attend to."

The wedding right, how could have have forgotten. "Yeah, I know," he sighed.

"Tell me, is there something about the prince of Niflheim that interests you?" his father asked, a knowing glint in his eye. When his son didn't answer, he kept going, "Is this about his not being born into royalty?" he asked, pretty sure he hit the nail on the head. "If that's what this is about, then I already know. The emperor has no offspring, so the two of them are unrelated," he explained. "There are rumors though, nothing has been proven, but if they're true, then I fear for the fate of that boy," he finished with an air of seriousness.

"W-What do you mean?" Noctis asked, his eyes wide with worry. "What do you mean his fate?"

The king's face fell and he folded his hands in his lap, his eyes downcast. "Noctis, none of this is known to be fact, but I don't want you getting attached on the chance that these sayings are to be true. But, the kid, if things don't work out, he can be replaced if the need arises," his tone was tense, and it was obvious it pained him to say this, but it was something that needed to be out there before anything happened and his son was hurt as a result.

Noctis' face paled though, his heart doubled in speed and he had a hard time breathing easily. "Wha?" he questioned. "You mean, like he could...die?" He didn't get a response, and that was answer enough. "No, that can't be right." He refused to believe it, that was just...not right.

"As I said, nothing is set in stone, so don't dwell on the matter too much. I simply told you as a precaution so you don't get your hopes up," he explained, but he knew his words meant nothing at this point. "Please, these are matters that don't concern us and getting involved would do nothing but complicate our communications with their country. Do you understand, Noctis?" His voice was stern and authoritative.

Despite his rising anger, the raven muttered a forced, "Yes, sir," and spun on the spot, ignoring his father's protests for him to stop. His steps were fast and he didn't slow down until he was sauntering back into the garden. Only then did he slow to a stop and pause for a deep breath. Glancing back to the bench the two of them were sitting on before, he lowered himself back onto it and caught his breath.

Why was he overreacting like this? He barely knew the guy, and like Regis said, it was only a rumor. Still, his pulse refused to calm down, and his mind didn't want to stop running circles. How could he care that much for someone he didn't even know? He took a deep and slow breath, holding it as he sank against the wooden seat. As he relaxed against it, something fluttered to a stop just on his left shoulder, and he glanced over to the blue butterfly resting on him. Watching it, he lifted a finger to touch it, but if fluttered away before he could make contact.

He prayed the Niflheim prince would be fine, that that's all those rumors were, just sayings, lies that were spread. He refused to believe anyone was that cruel as to replace others. They wouldn't do that...but, deep down, he knew they would, and that's what worried him the most. He could believe all he wanted to, but it wouldn't change a thing. He exhaled heavily through his nose and watched the royal blue wings drift away.

~AND I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO CLOSE REQUESTS~

(I apologize, but they're starting to really add up now. xD)

And, I'm sorry and hate to do this, but from now on, I will message people before I do your story, and if I don't get a reply, it will be skipped until I hear from you again. Only reason I feel the need to do this is because multiple times, I have written a request, and the person would never show up again. And, honestly, these take time, and if the person that asked doesn't stick around, then I don't want to take the time to do it.

Queue as of now:

NicoleBL

Silverheartlugia2000

Bagpipes5k

ADyingFlower

KHDreamfan

Rain446

Farsky

Rubue

Wilting Worries

knowledge-or-death

ImmortalMarshal

mabver321

Shiary

redpandaaprince

Defiant Drift

Prompto-cam

xYukiNoYume

__C'estletemps_

Mirajane92

Brooke3131

Free_Bird

MasterThiefWolf

~IF YOU REQUESTED AND YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I SOMETIMES LOSE TRACK~