Disclaimer: not mine

Edited

Chapter 12

"Highness?"

He'd never heard Ignis sound so unsure and shocked, his voice higher than normal, and he hated that it was because of his actions that Ignis sounded like that now.

Prompto kept his face down as he licked over his teeth, trying to remove all signs of blood as Noctis sat up. He saw the thin trail of blood that had trickled down from Noctis' throat to his chest and winced, no way would Ignis miss seeing that.

"It's okay Specs," Noctis spoke gently, hands held out towards Ignis.

Prompto took a deep breath to ensure he was calm, features human, before sitting up and turning to face Ignis as well. He was rather pale, green eyes wide behind his glasses, and Prompto could smell his distress. He grabbed the sheet, covering their laps, crossing his legs and then leaning forward a bit, sitting as best he could to appear unthreatening.

Ignis' eyes were locked on the blood trail but then he looked up at Prompto, and the wariness, even fear, hurt to see. He shifted slightly and then froze as Ignis summoned his daggers, shocked by the action, his own eyes going wide, even as Noctis moved between them, summoning his clothing from the Armiger like he'd been practising since Prompto had shown him how.

"Stand down Ignis," Noctis commanded and Ignis staggered slightly under the power of Noct's magic and his own Oaths to the Prince.

Prompto had been granted access to Noctis' magic, but he hadn't made any Oaths when doing so, not like Ignis and Gladio. Obviously it was that Oath that had made Ignis stagger and he released his daggers in reaction, letting them return to the Armiger.

"Highness…"

"Calm down Ignis, there's no threat," Noctis walked towards him, the blood now hidden beneath his shirt.

Prompto watched, kicking himself for not paying more attention before they fell into bed. He knew better! Now Ignis had seen more than he should have. Could he accept the truth, accept him? Would he be forced to alter his memories to protect himself?

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Noctis slowly approached Ignis, feeling the magic thrum between them as Ignis stared at him with wide eyes. Ignis was his Adviser, his Right Hand, and those Oaths bound them together tightly. Gladio was his Shield, a much more easily defined position. Prompto would be his husband but until then he thought he would take on the role Cor had played for his Father in his own Retinue. He only had Clarus and Cor left out of the four he had once had at his side. Noctis didn't know much about them, other than a man called Wesk had been his Dad's Iggy.

In some ways Ignis was his first, less obvious, line of defence, but he was also the last. Everyone underestimated him, forgot that, in being trained from childhood to serve Noctis, he had been trained in more than etiquette and politics. Should the Shield fail to defend the monarch, the Adviser was to be there, to defend the Crown or buy them time to get away.

Seeing Prompto attached to his neck, the blood, had Ignis shocked, but then going to act as he was meant to, to defend his Prince. But this was something he wasn't trained to deal with.

"Ignis," he called more gently than he had before and Ignis stared at him. He held his hand out and Ignis automatically took it.

He turned to pull Ignis back towards the bed, finding Prompto had summoned his own clothing as well, sweatpants and t-shirt. He looked completely harmless which was always amusing when someone who didn't know him met him in the halls of the Citadel. Noctis' hidden bodyguard at school and soon to be third member of his Retinue, Hunter rank level six, Officer. He'd be even higher if he hunted regularly, he definitely had the skill. No one looking at Prompto ever guessed that with his bright blond and red hair, brilliant green flecked blue eyes, freckles, and slender build.

Ignis was obviously not falling for it, he'd seen Prompto fight and had now seen something strange he didn't understand.

"Ignis," Prompto spoke up and Ignis eyes him warily.

Noctis saw the flicker of pain in his boyfriends eyes at that.

"Iggy, I won't hurt you," Prompto whispered and Ignis hesitated.

"You made Noctis bleed," only years of knowing him let Noctis pick up the slight tremor in Ignis' voice, though Prompto's supernatural hearing likely picked it up too.

"With my consent," Noctis spoke up. "Prompto would never dream of hurting me." He glanced at Prompto, unsure how much he should say to Ignis.

Prompto got up and went to fully activate the wards, ensuring they wouldn't be disturbed. He then walked back to Ignis, hands open at his sides, posture relaxed. He held his hand out to Ignis, blue eyes meeting green and Noctis practically held his breath, waiting for Ignis to react.

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Ignis had felt his Oaths to Noctis pulling at him, conflicted over how to act to a perceived threat to his Prince when the one who appeared to be a threat was someone who had literally killed to defend Noctis before, who Ignis knew had access to the Armiger.

He didn't understand what they had been doing…other than the obvious and he could have done without seeing them together like that. It looked like Prompto had been…drinking Noctis' blood? The very idea repulsed him, he knew some people found the strangest things to be pleasurable, but that?

Why would Noctis consent to that? Or had he initiated it? He watched Prompto move to near the door, doing something, and then he shivered as he felt something strange. He was wary, unsure, and it was not something he liked feeling, not around the two boys he thought he knew so well.

Prompto walked back towards him, hands open at his sides, posture relaxed, obviously trying to show he wasn't a threat. Ignis knew how deadly Prompto was, he had sparred with the younger male over the years and had seen that he had jumped two ranks in the Hunters while travelling for the year post graduation. He held his hand out to Ignis, blue eyes meeting his, and Ignis stared at him, searching.

Ever so slowly he found himself reaching out to Prompto's hand, taking it, seeing the small smile flicker across his lips. "What is going on?" he asked, feeling Prompto squeeze his hand gently.

"We can explain," Prompto promised. "It's a really long story though, do you have anything you can't get out of today?"

Ignis considered his schedule before shaking his head. "No, I have no meetings today." Despite the 'activities' he had interrupted, the hand in his was slightly cooler than he would have expected and when he considered it, Prompto's body temperature did seem to run a little cooler than average, not to the point most would notice, but as someone who favoured fire spells and cooking, he was very good at noting minute temperature changes to avoid burning himself.

Prompto sat back on the bed, Noctis dragging a chair over quickly before sitting beside him so Ignis took that chair, facing them, hands now folded in his lap. He would listen before acting.

"Ignis, I need your Oath you won't speak of this to anyone else," Noctis started, and Ignis frowned. "It's important."

"A full Oath?" he asked and Noctis nodded.

That was something rarely done, using his Oath to Noctis to bind him to silence. Only with Noctis' permission or death would he be able to pass on what he knew. He had never been asked to give that Oath before. He did absently wonder what kind of Oath Prompto would give when sworn to Noctis' service.

What could be going on that Noctis would demand that from him? Obviously more than he had first suspected… he looked at Noctis, seeing the flinty determination there, he would not be allowed to get out of giving the Oath if he wished to know. He took a deep breath and then gave the asked for Oath, feeling Noct's magic react, binding him to silence. He gasped, leaning forward, and he felt Prompto grab him, supporting him.

"Ignis?" Noctis called in alarm and Ignis took a deep breath before straightening up, feeling the magic settle.

"I'm alright," he assured his Prince. He had been warned how it would feel if he was ever needed to do that, but it was still a shock to the system.

Noctis eyed him before slowly nodded. "Remember the assassination attempt that Prompto handled?" he asked and Ignis nodded, that was not something he was likely to ever forget. "You don't know the full story," Noctis warned before telling him what had really happened before Prompto took over.

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Prompto fell silent, feeling exhausted after three hours of telling Ignis the true history of the planet and explaining what his Dad was, what he was. Noctis was holding his hand tightly, offering support and comfort. The room was utterly silent except for the sounds his enhanced hearing could detect – heartbeats, breathing, the low level hum of power to the lights… but no words.

He hadn't been able to look at Ignis since he reached where his Dad had found him in the facility. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look up, finding him looking at a blank faced Ignis and he swallowed, not sure what that meant.

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Noctis watched Ignis carefully, trying to work out what he was thinking without using magic. He didn't think he'd ever seen his face so blank though and that had him worried. It wasn't like Ignis could tell anyone but…he could treat Prom differently and that would hurt.

"I assume you have proof?" Ignis asked, voice flat.

Prompto squeezed his hand and then took a deep breath and he didn't need to look at him to know he had brought his inner vampire forward; he could see Iggy's reaction quite clearly. Ignis' eyes went wide, mouth opening as if he was going to shout even as he jolted back in his chair.

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Ignis watched Prompto take a deep breath and then he couldn't help jolting back as he stared into silver eyes, saw the wickedly sharp fangs that had replaced his eye teeth. He forced himself to take a breath, hating how shaky it sounded, eyes roaming Prompto's form for anything else. Was this…Scourge? There was no skin discolouration that he could see though.

Noctis then offered Prompto his wrist and Ignis froze as Prompto bit down, Noctis groaning…and definitely not in pain even as Prompto's throat worked, swallowing. He only took a mouth full before pulling back, revealing two neat holes in tender flesh before he literally licked the wound closed.

Okay…so Prompto drank blood. That was…

"I've been Prompto's donor since the attack, though he still mostly uses stored blood. I like giving blood though, it feels incredible," Noctis told him. "I love Prom, fangs and all," he shot Prompto a cheeky grin and Prompto laughed, shaking his head, but shifting his arm to wrap around Noctis, pulling him in close to press a kiss to his cheek.

It all looked so normal and the love in Prompto's eyes when he looked at Noctis, that couldn't be faked. Noctis would know if it was, it was impossible to lie to the Royal you were bound to. Surely he would have seen something himself in the time he had known the boy if it wasn't true, then again he had never suspected he was anything but human. That he had been 'made' in a Niff lab…tortured…tossed aside to be killed…how had he turned out so caring? The answer was his Dad obviously. Harry Argentum…Harry Potter…Vampire.

Ignis forced himself to calm down and think logically about everything. That was why he was Noctis' Adviser, because of his ability to remain calm under pressure. It was undeniable that Prompto had fangs and could drink blood, humans could not as it made them ill, and Prompto showed no sign of needing to vomit. Much of what he said could not be verified, at least at the moment. So did one truth mean the rest was?

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Prompto glanced at the clock and stood up, making Ignis start out of his thoughts. He smiled at him and stretched. "I'm going to go grab some food from the kitchen, better to think on a full stomach Iggy," he told him and Ignis went to stand but Prompto gently pushed him back into the chair. "Relax, I can handle one meal. I'll leave the wards up too," he promised, that way they could talk in private. He hesitated but then moved at full speed, seeming to blur to human vision, closing the bedroom door behind him.

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Noctis shook his head fondly as Prompto moved faster than a human could to leave the room, closing the door on his way out. "With the wards up he can't hear us, so if you have something you want to say without Prom hearing it, better say it now," he told his Adviser. "What he is doesn't change who he is, he's still the Prompto you've known and trusted for years. Ever wondered why my back doesn't bother me as much anymore? It's because of Prompto. He's used his magic to help ease the pain and promote further healing. His magic is amazing and it's nothing compared to his Dad's, because he was born with his and has had a lot longer to master it. Prom's only began showing up when he was nine. He loves me and I love him and one day I am going to marry him. I don't know what we'll do when he stops aging, he mentioned illusion magic that can make him look older when needed."

Noctis fell silent, looking down at his hands before looking back up at Ignis. "I know the odds, that he'll outlive me by centuries and that my dying is going to break his heart but…as long as he's willing to risk that then I will take every minute I've got with him."

He wasn't going to tell Ignis what he had been considering in the back of his mind, something he'd need to speak with Harry about but…if it came down to dying or being a vampire and staying with Prompto….well, he knew what he'd choose. It wouldn't be easy though, he was the only heir to the Throne, if he died what would happen? As much as he didn't want to, he would have to talk to his Dad about provisions. They were at war and he was with Prompto, it would be irresponsible not too.

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Harry double checked everything was ready and then settled in to wait. He had made sure to arrive with plenty of time to set up, layering various wards and traps to ensure he couldn't be taken by surprise by either a single person or a force of soldiers. No MT or daemon would be able to cross the wards intact. While his target was Besithia since without him their Magitek development would slow considerably, any high-ranking officer would be useful for information so he would take what he could get.

He wanted it handled quickly though, he had the feeling Prompto needed his support with something. He hadn't called so it couldn't be anything too bad or urgent, and he had Noctis to watch his back. He was going to be there to see him become a Crownsguard and officially one of Noctis' Retinue though, even if he had to stash whoever showed up somewhere for a while, while he was in Insomnia.

Finally, the time came and he watched the hated scientist arrive, frowning as the wards fed him information even as he looked him over with his own magic and senses. Well, wasn't that interesting. The Empire had set a trap for the saboteur and Harry smirked, time to spring the trap. He was not an opponent that Harry would underestimate but he still had many centuries to go to match Harry's sheer experience and expertise with magic. Obviously the man had gotten bored, why else use such an elaborate illusion to appear as Besithia?

Ardyn Lucis Caelum had answers he wanted and now he had a perfect opportunity to ensure he gave them.

TBC…