The Disaster Magnet

Final Fantasy XV © Square Enix

The Disaster Magnet © fhclause

Chapter 2

Wedding cards.

It was amazing how a perfumed, cream-coloured rectangle card, embossed with complicated yet captivating design and written on with careful, cursive invitation could incite such spirit on others to convince other bachelor or bachelorette to have weddings too. Even when the said bachelor or bachelorette had given no indication that they wanted to marry. And yet, it made Grandpapa—the great scowler, Duke of Oceanus, abuser of the floor (with his cane), and ill-tempered when put near a stranger—asked the question she most dreaded.

When are you going to get married, Mola?

Honestly, it made Mola feel a little bit betrayed. Considering how he hated strangers, she was hoping he wouldn't ask that question until she was in her late fifties.

At least.

It wasn't as if Mola hated men—she always scooted closer to the television that Grandpapa always grumbled about healthy distance when the news featured the Kingsglaive. Or better yet, the Brotherhood and the King of Lucis himself, because wow. How could Lucis get all the beautiful men while her only option in Tenebrae was Ravus? Mola didn't hate weddings, nor was she a non-believer of true love neither—what Luna had endured for the past half year after her past engagement with King Noctis just to marry the man she loved, was a proof that true love did exist. And Mola was glad that they were able to marry.

She only found that weddings and marriage was not suitable for someone like her. It required too much work and time. Expectation. Mola understood that her grandfather had good intention, that he didn't want her to ended up alone when he passed.

But was aloneness worse than letting yourself to be vulnerable and open to someone who had the power to manipulate the workings of your heart?

With a shudder, Mola had hidden the wedding invitation card, hoping that Grandpapa would soon forget if he didn't see it again. Alas, it was for nought because three days before the wedding, Ravus had come visit and decided that she had to learn how to dance properly. With sweat—on her part—and literal tears—on Ravus's part—he finally declared she was a decent enough dancer and that she would be his partner to the wedding.

On the day of the wedding, Ravus had somehow convinced her to ditch her trousers and put on a dress instead with the excuse that she would stand out like a sore thumb if she did not. She had regretted following that advice because she kept catching the hem of her dress with the tip of her shoes. Mola had a premonition then that she would trip somehow. She was that unlucky.

It was alright during the actual ceremony, because all that was required of her was to sit down, keep quiet, watch the bride and groom proceeded to knot themselves for eternity and clap her hands. It was the after-ceremony where it was required for everyone to socialise she most dreaded of. She knew no one here except Luna and Grandpapa. And her supposedly partner had gone off to Six-knows-where.

It was horrible. She felt like she was being swarmed by actual wasps because she could feel the sting of the curious stares by the people around her. She had stood frozen from where Ravus last left her and when her brain finally commanded her to move and search for him, she had accidentally crashed a caterer, causing the untouched wine in her hand sploshed onto the pristine uniform.

After myriad of apologies, Mola felt like her skin was being scorched because other than the stares, her blunder had started the whispers. She didn't notice she had buried her face in her hands until she heard Ravus's voice.

"Mola."

And then he had introduced her to his friend that needed no introduction at all. Mola was so shocked to see Lucis's beloved king and heartthrob right in front of her—Oh wow. His eyes were bluer than she had thought. And the hair! How could he make long hair so good on him?—that she didn't realise he had spoken. A cough jolted her out of admiration. "Oh. Oh, I mean, you're so good looking that I—"

The cough became louder.

"No! That was not I—" Stop! She couldn't say he was not good looking. That would offend him even more! What should she say? What should she say!? "Ah, umm...well—"

Her heart thumped so loudly in her chest that she had clenched her eyes in pain and gasped a quick breath. There was a tingle in her fingers as they started to sweat, so she hid and clutched her fingers between the fabric of her dress. A few more deep breaths and it suddenly occurred to her that he had voiced his pleasure on meeting her. Mola opened her eyes, but kept them down on the floor. "The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty."

There. She had butchered her introduction and have offended the king by embarrassing him in front of the crowd. She would be lucky if it did not cause an international dispute. She really did not want to have another war. If there was, perhaps Ravus would be kind enough not to execute her right away? Maybe she could persuade Luna to—

"Lady Mola, may I have this honour to dance with you?"

Mola blinked at the proffered arm in her sight of vision. She followed the owner of said arm and sure enough, it was King Noctis's.

And he asked her for a dance. He asked her for a dance.

The idea of it was so absurd that Mola asked, "Are you sure?"

Then, even a stranger thing happened. He smiled. At her. As if she did not embarrass him a moment ago. As if her botch up introduction did not happen. And in that moment of confusion, she had found herself too late to snatch her traitorous hand back that had somehow perched on his arm without her permission. On the way to the dance floor, Mola glanced at his face to see if he had only smiled out of respect for Ravus. But no. It was still there.

As if the idea of dancing with her would actually bring him joy.

As they were about to reach the centre of the ballroom, Mola saw Luna and her husband were talking to a few nobles in red and green coats with one of them wearing a fluffy, feathered hat. She caught Luna's eyes and sent her a little wave but quickly put it down when she remembered who was beside her. The couple nodded to the nobles as they excused themselves and made their way to them. "Mola, you came!"

In her excitement to finally see her friend, Mola launched herself to hug Luna. There was a little 'oof', but she took it a sign to hug Luna tighter. "I'm so, so, so happy for you."

"Oh, Mola." Luna let the hug lingered for a moment before pulling away. "Thank you for coming. I had thought you will not."

"How can I miss my best friend's wedding? Although, to be honest, it was Ravus that deserves the praise. He practically dragged me here. All I planned was giving you a wedding gift," Mola laughed before looking at Luna with wide eyes. "I was joking. I really want to come."

Luna giggled behind her curled fingers, noting her that she was not offended at all. She then looked at the man beside Mola and curtsied. "Your Majesty, thank you for coming."

Mola turned her wide eyes at King Noctis, fretted internally that she might have offended the king again. She really should not have waved at Luna, should she? She should have pretended she did not see her friend and walked straight to the centre and let the king lead her for that dance. Instead, she had unintentionally made both the king and his ex-fiancée, on the said ex-fiancee's wedding day, to become the centre of the attention of the ton. Mola could practically feel the sting of the ton's curious stares and they shushing others meant they were expecting some kind ofdrama out of it.

King Noctis was either not aware of the role he was supposed to play or he was blatantly ignoring it, because he smiled to the bride, took her hand and kissed the air above her knuckles. "So formal, Luna. Congratulations, by the way." He then turned his attention to the groom, smiled even wider and shook his arm. "And to you too, Nyx. Better take care of her properly, or half of the world is going to get you for hurting her."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will."

And just like that, the ton's excitement deflated like a sad balloon. Mola sighed in relief, but sucked a startled breath when she felt a light touch down her back. It was King Noctis's. "I was wondering if I could trouble the both of you to lead another dance? Lady Mola and I haven't had the chance to dance yet," he said.

Luna smiled at her husband, a smile too wide to be appropriate for a noble lady. "Well, I don't think I am that tired yet. How about you, Nyx?"

Nyx grinned. "To dance with the most beautiful woman in the room? Hell, yes."

They laughed as they lead the dance while Mola and the king followed from behind. She set her arm along the clad-in-black one and repressed the urge to throw up. Just her luck that her first dance in front of the ton was with a king. Mola felt the stings of their stares again. This time, it was worse. They had been deprived of the drama between the king and his ex. Now they were depending their whole entertainment on her.

Of her impending failure.

"They're like vipers in your bed, aren't they? Sometimes you don't even know what you're doing wrong but they still swung around like a cracked bell-clapper."

She had been focusing hard on harmonising the movement of her feet with his that it took a moment for Mola to realise he had talk. "Oh," was her only smart reply.

"Just 'oh'? Hmm. How about this? Their goal in fashion is to stand out in the crowd like the proverbial sore thumb. Did you see that gentleman with the feathered hat? I wonder if he had a competition with a peacock before coming here with that atrocious hat."

"Oh!" He was making jokes!

King Noctis chuckled. "Either I am bad at jokes or 'oh' is your way of laughing."

Mola shook her head vigorously. "No! I just did not think you would—" The words ran away before she could say them. She frantically searched for them, then realising that the words might offend him again. She settled with the ones which had become uncomfortably familiar since tonight. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Mola glanced at his blue eyes to see if he really did not know, but quickly returned them to her feet when she felt her dress brushed the tip of her shoes. "I am not good with…socialising, as you have seen. Jokes are not my forte either, so I might get them a little late. I don't know what Ravus was thinking, introducing me to you." She frowned. "Actually, I think I do. He coerced you to, didn't he? Now you're obligated to talk with a bore."

"Perhaps, Lady Mola," he said, as they spun around. "I was captivated by your beauty and sought for an introduction to you."

"Captivated by my—" Mola looked at him as if he had just sprouted another head on his shoulder before laughing.

"Ah. So 'oh' isn't your way of laughing."

Mola shook her head. "You're so silly." She gasped when she realised what she had said. "Oh, I'm sorr—"

King Noctis laughed. "I have to agree. Having to wear three layers of clothes just to look impressive is silly. Did you know that Ravus called me a grim reaper? I think he was right. I am getting too warm to be comfortable."

Mola looked at him again, but this time in appreciative awe. King Noctis was as kind as he was in the news. He must have regretted his decision to pick her as his dance partner by now, but instead of getting offended or mockingly laughed at her continuous blunders, he treated them as if they were nothing unusual. Treated her as if she was not a vulgar girl crying for attention. Not many, especially strangers, were this kind to her. He reminded her of Luna and Ravus wrapped in one—gentle with his words yet blunt enough without feeling sardonic about it.

And that thought alone made Mola smiled gratefully. "I don't know how you could be so kind to me. I think I have insulted you more than a person should. You have the right to execute me for these offences."

King Noctis hummed in thought. "Execute is too much. Flogging might be better."

Mola gasped in shock before noticing the twitch at the corner of his lips. "Oh! You're making jokes again!"

"I take it back," he laughed. "'Oh' is certainly your way of laughing.

They were almost at the end of their dance, but Mola did not want it to end when she made such a horrible impression of herself on him. She gnawed her lips in worry; King Noctis tried to make her comfortable in his presence. Shouldn't she pay him the same courtesy? Mola looked at him in the eye, somehow giddy with courage she never felt before. "I… I heard that the ton love soirees and balls because—" She took a deep breath. "Because they have a great sense of 'rumour'."

The king stared at her, his eyebrows shot up so high, they almost disappeared behind his parted bangs. Then, to her delight, he snorted, sucked a breath through his teeth, and burst out a loud laugh so infectious that she laughed too.

It was then the notorious fight between the tip of her shoes and the hem of her dress became worse. Mola had forgotten to mind her footing, so when she felt the dress trapped underneath her shoes, she jerked her foot away. But the force startled him that he accidentally stepped on her dress and with no space to move, Mola fell down. And because both she and the king were basically wrapped in each other arms, he fell too.

There was a loud thud before there was a dull, throbbing pain on her forehead. There were two large blurry white forms and a black one in her vision. Confused, she looked around and found herself on the floor and another black form lying just right beside her. Mola blinked rapidly at the sudden feeling of nausea and when her vision cleared, she saw what it was lying beside her.

"Eeep!"

This wasn't horrible. This was a disaster.

She had just killed the King of Lucis!