Title: Not a fairytale
Genre: Angst, romance
Summary: Ten years have passed. They have all experienced both joy and sorrow, but life goes on steadily as ever.
Warning: Includes some spoilers for Kingsglaive and loads of angst.
Note: This chapter hasn't been beta-read, but I'll edit it once I get all the errors sorted. I just didn't wanna postpone posting this anymore.
Epilogue
"Highness, should you be out here on your own?"
"I am not alone with you here, am I?" Luna straightened up from her hunched position and dusted off her dirt-covered hands. Nyx hurried to her side to help, but she waved her hand in dismissal and stood up with effort. Nyx rolled his eyes. She was always so stubborn.
"Maybe not, but I'm not cut out to be a midwife", the glaive remarked as he eyed the queen's heavily pregnant body.
"You have the skill and speed to summon one should the need arise." It was hardly the first time they had had this conversation. She understood his worries, she really did, but she couldn't surround herself with fussing people every minute of her day. Sometimes all she needed was peace and quiet to be alone with her thoughts and reflect.
"His Majesty will have my head if–"
"That is enough, Nyx", she quietly ordered. She didn't need to be reminded.
"I didn't mean to upset you, Highness." Nyx hovered next to her as if expecting her to faint under the pressure of painful memories.
"I know." She offered him a small smile. "You may summon a servant if you must, but I would appreciate if they stayed by the doors and out of sight."
Luna leaned her aching back against an oak tree. Nyx made no move to leave her side. Instead, he turned his back to her to give her a false sense of privacy and stood at ease, his gaze surveying the surroundings. His shoulders remained slightly tense as if burdened by her reluctance to accept his help.
With a soft sigh Luna watched the sun peek through the glass ceiling above the private garden. Her eyes grew heavy. She had had a restless night. The child within her womb hadn't given her a chance to get any shuteye. It was almost as if it was eager to leave the safety of her body and tackle the world head-on.
It was her third pregnancy yet her husband remained without an heir. She had been hesitant to put her duties as an Oracle on hold to perform her expected wifely duties to her husband. They had been married for two years before their first child was successfully conceived. When Noctis had first witnessed the slight roundness of her stomach he had been both anxious and ecstatic, and for a good reason. Back then he was still so young and hadn't completely shed his youthful demeanour. The palace had been buzzing with enthusiasm and all the tabloids and newspapers closely followed every single one of her public appearances and speculated when the newest family addition would arrive.
Alas, their joyous wait had ended when their child was lost in a miscarriage. She had taken her son's death very heavily. She wore nothing but grey for a year as she grieved. Noctis had to call royal physicians to closely monitor her condition as she lost her appetite and lost weight at an alarming rate. That year she received hundreds of consolation cards. She recognized some of the names; they were from people she had helped while she had been travelling under Niflheim's surveillance as an Oracle. She had even received a floral bracelet made of white poppies; the flower of consolation. She wore it until its flowers had withered.
Noctis had devoted a wall in their private library to these cards. He had made sure to hang a curtain over them so the mere sight wouldn't make her burst into tears. She appreciated his thoughtfulness. She hadn't wanted to stuff them in a drawer, and even less throw them away. At the same time she hadn't felt like she could face the reminder of her loss. The study had been out of the question; the cards were personal and private and not for everyone to see.
After a year had passed she forsook her veil and grey clothing. Half a year later she tentatively invited Noctis to try again. During her grieving she had not let him touch her. His longing and bottled up frustration had been achingly obvious when his lips claimed hers and his hands hurried to remove all the barriers between their bodies. The memory of the pure need in his eyes still brought a faint flush to her cheeks.
Her second pregnancy had been the complete opposite of her first one. Gone was her eager anticipation. Instead she had felt miserable and ashamed of the physical reminder of her first failure. She had ceased attending to political meetings and making public appearances. She had held a brief reception to allow people in need of her services as an Oracle to contact her, but after a mere two months she had closed it down. She had received letters asking for her blessings and she dutifully did all she could from a distance.
Her relationship with her husband had become strained. He had been busy with studies and learning all he could from his father while she kept to herself and spent most of her waking hours in the graveyard talking to her dead son's tombstone or communicating with the divine. It wasn't until her second last month of pregnancy that her husband finally lost his patience and confronted her. She could still vividly recall that day.
Luna stared at her undressed reflection. Her swollen belly looked like it was ready to pop from the excessive weight within; the skin around her middle had the faintest tint of blue as if it was stretched to its limit. She hadn't fully recovered from her grieving; her body was thinner than ever while her belly had grown impossibly large in comparison. Frankly, it looked like it wasn't even part of her body.
She could hear footsteps right outside the door. She hurried to pull her gown on. The bedroom door opened. She knew only Noctis would enter without knocking or requesting an audience, but she still felt a little uneasy in his presence when she wasn't fully clothed. For reasons she couldn't fathom she felt highly self-conscious of her pregnant body. She had caught her husband looking at her several times with an unreadable expression. Worry, longing, pity, disappointment? She could only speculate what he was thinking.
"Why do you hide yourself from me?" He came to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest. His arms couldn't reach across her waist. The realization embarrassed her. She bit her lip and subconsciously pulled at her gown to further hide her bony legs.
"I'm not hiding. I told you I would be here."
His frustrated sigh tickled her skin and the short hair on her neck stood up from the unexpected sensation. His gloved hands caressed her swollen breasts before descending to lightly hold the sides of her pregnant belly. He knelt down as his hands continued their descent, leaving gooseflesh in their wake. She had no idea what he was doing, but her body shivered in anticipation. His hands found the hem of her long nightgown. With tantalizingly slow movements he lifted it up to reveal her bare thin legs. He removed a glove from his free hand to let his bare skin touch hers.
"You know what I mean." His voice was husky. He had missed her. Even though they shared the bed every night and lived under the same roof it felt like they were worlds apart.
He placed a soft kiss on her kneecap. "You don't let anyone help you dress or undress, not even Gentiana. The royal physician told me you close your eyes and turn away whenever he has to examine you. I haven't seen your body since we made love eight months ago." He moved around her to stand between her and the mirror. She tried to free the hem of her gown from his gloved hand, but he gently moved her hands away. His cool blue eyes bored into hers. Her gaze fell in shame when he pulled the gown over her head and tossed it to their bed. She fidgeted. Why did he insist on humiliating her?
His warm lips planted kisses where she suspected the baby's foot to be sticking out. He stood up to his full height and lifted her chin. Her eyes remained downcast.
"Luna, look at me", his soothing baritone commanded. Her eyes rose to his, but quickly fell as if pulled by gravity. Changing tactics, Noctis knelt down and peered up at her through his bangs. "Are you ashamed of your body?"
She shook her head. "It is not that simple."
Surprised by her answer, he took her hands in his and waited for her to elaborate. A tear fell on his pant leg. His eyes widened in panic. He was quickly on his feet and pulled her to an awkward yet tender embrace. She didn't quite fit in his arms with her heavily pregnant belly keeping their bodies apart. She leaned in as far as she could and let her forehead rest on his shoulder. She inhaled his comfortingly familiar scent.
"We've tried for so long to have a child", she whispered, her voice quivering from emotion. "Yet I feel unhappy, angry even. I have no appetite and I'm too selfish to force myself for the sake of our child. I'm so ashamed for feeling the way I do." She squeezed her eyes shut but couldn't stop the tears from soaking Noctis' collar. "I do not deserve to carry or care for this child."
When Noctis had asked her about the cause for her depression she hadn't been able to answer. He had asked for his friends' opinions, but none of them had a clue. His father had been equally confused by Luna's behavior. The prince's saving grace had been Gentiana who had witnessed the pregnancies of Luna's foremothers. The attendant had contained her chuckle when Noctis had come to her clearly beside himself.
"It is completely normal for a pregnant woman to feel disconnected from her unborn child and even harbor ill feelings as a result", she had assured him. "It'll pass. Most will move on the moment they hold their newborn in their arms."
After his exchange with Gentiana he had put his studies on hold to concentrate on supporting his wife. He had made sure she took care of herself both mentally and physically. Slowly her willowy figure had begun to fill out as her appetite was restored. He had barely let her out of his sight. They had often walked in the garden or sat by the oak tree; sometimes they talked, sometimes they enjoyed the silence. Noctis had continued his tradition from Altissia and brought a book for her to read. He had held her and absently stroked her swollen belly while wondering if their child could feel his gentle touches. When the month had passed, her body had regained its lost weight and her mind was pulled from depression. The future had begun to seem less bleak. She had dared to hope.
It wasn't until her water had broken and she collapsed while enjoying an evening stroll with her husband that everything went downhill again. Noctis had ran faster than she thought possible as he carried her to their bedroom while ordering passing servants to summon the midwives, and Gladiolus and Ignis had had no choice but to forcefully drag him out to keep him from getting in the way of said midwives. Noctis had listened to her screams for hours and even tried to break down the door to get to her, but thankfully Gladiolus had managed to restrain him.
The child had been stillborn. The baby had not received enough oxygen as the umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck and strangled him. His lifeless body and empty blue eyes still haunted Luna to this day.
After the news of her second failure aired, people began to gossip. A vocal minority claimed their union was doomed because it went against the will of the Reaper. They said a former Imperial as their future queen was outright blasphemous. Noctis hadn't wasted any time getting Prompto to end such talk by writing articles in Insomnia Today, including interviews with the prince himself where he stressed how the Oracles of past times had always worked closely with Lucian royalty and how Lunafreya was the one communicating with the deities. Had she been told their match was not in harmony with the gods' design, surely she would've refused even if their marriage had been for the sake of a much needed peace. A peace that now in retrospective had been nothing but a temporary truce.
As King Regis passed away from the strain of the Wall and Noctis inherited his burden, Luna began to worry she would never be able to do what was expected of her as his wife and queen. On her fourth month she had hesitantly suggested that Noctis think about finding himself a suitable concubine.
"Excuse me, what?" His pen had fallen from his slackened hold. The sound of it hitting the hard marble surface had felt like a gunshot in the tense silence.
"I cannot stand the thought of disappointing you again. Should I fail to deliver this child the people will lose faith. Please. You need a successor."
He had stood up so fast that his seat toppled over. She had gasped in near fright when he stomped to her and took her cold hands between his warm palms, his crimson eyes intensely fixed on hers.
"I'm not getting any lovers for a reason like that. It's you or no-one." He had brought her knuckles to his lips, his hard eyes melting to something tender and compassionate. "And I don't want you even thinking anything like that, understand?" He had gently pulled her to sit on his lap while he sat on his desk, his important stack of papers scattered or wrinkled under his weight. She had been both relieved and burdened by his declaration.
"Highness?" Nyx's voice broke the silence.
Luna opened her eyes. She must've dozed off. "What is it, Nyx?"
The glaive motioned behind himself with his thumb. "Gentiana is here. Should I let her in?"
"Please." She straightened up.
The dark-clad attendant gracefully glided past the vegetation to the blonde. She noted Luna's sluggish movements and how her eyes were hazy from her brief nap. "Should we postpone our visit, Lunafreya?" Gentiana knew exactly where Luna intended to go.
"No, I have the flowers here. I do not wish to upset them by delaying." She bent down to pick a flower wreath and two small flowerpots with home-grown sylleblossoms.
Gentiana said nothing, but Luna knew what she was thinking: "the dead are not as punctual as the living". The attendant offered her arm and walked Luna outside the Citadel where Ignis waited by the Regalia.
"Afternoon, Highness", the advisor politely greeted and bowed before opening the door for her. Noctis had personally asked Ignis to drive the queen and her attendant to the graveyard for their weekly visits. He felt more at ease knowing his most loyal friend looked after his now defenceless wife.
The graveyard was built in the outskirts of the Crown City. It was remote and far from the hustle and bustle of the inner city. Only the singing of birds and priests broke the tranquil silence. Ignis waited by the car while Gentiana escorted Luna to the restricted area where only Lucian royalty were buried. The sandy path ended and a well-cared-for stone path began. Gentiana's heels clicked loudly against the cobblestones, warning any guards and gardeners of their arrival. Luna politely nodded as she passed the silent sentinels. They arrived to King Regis' grave. Gentiana helped Luna to lower down to her keens. The queen placed down the flower wreath she had made out of various flora, including Lucis' national flower; the black dahlia.
"Noctis told me you appreciate my visits, Your Majesty", she began. "He said you've always regarded me as your daughter. You were like a father to me; warm and kind." She distinctly remembered the previous King's warm embrace. He had held her while she wept for her lost sons. He had assured her that no matter what struggles they would have to endure he would always consider her as one of his own. He loved her unconditionally, just as he loved his biological son.
"You never attempted to replace my father; rather, you sought to offer me paternal love even when I thought I was past the age of caring or needing such affection. For that I am eternally grateful." She closed her weary eyes to gather her scattered thoughts. As she opened her eyes, a single tear trailed down her pale cheek.
"I ask that you continue to guide and watch over your son and extend your blessing hand over the child within my womb. Should this pregnancy fail, I fear we might not get another chance. Noctis is rapidly aging and I do not know how much more my body can take. Please. If there is anything you can do, anything at all…"
Her voice trailed off. It was pointless. King Regis was no deity; he couldn't guarantee her unborn child's safety. But he was a loving father nonetheless. Perhaps all she needed was for him to listen and to feel his understanding presence.
She offered her hand to Gentiana who helped her back on her feet. "Farewell, Your Majesty." She curtsied and left his grave.
They still had two nameless graves to visit – her sons. She clutched the flowerpots tightly. Even after all these years she had yet to fully come to terms with her losses. Noctis grieved for their children as much as she did, but she felt the pain and hurt more keenly. She felt responsible for their deaths. It was her who carried them inside her and failed to deliver them safely to the world.
With Gentiana's help she dug a small hole in the soil of the graves and placed the flowers in the dirt. The graves were like small gardens in their own right. Every week she brought another flower and carefully arranged it to fit the already existing line of colours. She had visited these gravestones countless times and had said her piece. There was nothing more to say that hadn't already been spoken. "I love you. Both of you", she whispered. Her hand pushed aside fallen leaves from the granite stone.
"I can feel your fidgeting all the way from here. What is it, Nyx?"
It was a little disorienting to think this man had been just a scrawny bashful lad a mere eight years ago. There was nothing youthful about his appearance except for the hardened ruby eyes that still lit up in childlike joy when in the company of his wife. Gone was the boyish hairstyle with bangs that covered his shy eyes. Now his shoulder-length hair was neatly combed back and his serious eyes were unashamedly on display for all to see. A short beard and a moustache covered his lower face and laugh lines crinkled the corners of his eyes. He appeared every bit as regal as his father before him. To think Nyx was nearly a decade older than his ruler.
"Permission to speak freely, Your Majesty?"
"Granted."
"I don't think the queen should move about so freely and unsupervised. It could be mere days before she goes into labour."
"Or minutes", Noctis agreed.
Nyx felt something akin to dread twist his guts. How could the king be so calm? The glaive had seen the pain Lunafreya had endured and he knew Noctis was not blind to it.
"Calm yourself", Noctis warmly commanded. "Lunafreya is in good hands. She knows her limits and knows what is best for her. She has to take care of her mental wellbeing, not just her physical health. She cannot find peace if she's denied access to her sons or if she's surrounded by worrywarts every waking moment." The king stood up and walked to the glaive from his desk. "I appreciate your concern and I know you still hold her in the highest regard, but she's a fighter and a survivor. Has been long before you even knew her." He smiled fondly.
"That she is, Your Majesty", Nyx muttered absently as the king patted his shoulder.
After King Regis' untimely death Noctis had requested to talk with the glaive in private. Nyx had expected the younger man to get rid of him for Lunafreya's sake after his less than favourable actions towards his wife. He had been profoundly baffled when Noctis had instead requested him to take captain's position within the glaives. The former commander of glaives, Titus Drautos, had been uncovered as an Imperial spy and put to death. Suffice to say Nyx had been impressed by the young king's maturity to put their differences aside for the sake of their country and the people's safety.
To this day the king kept surprising the glaive with his wisdom and ability to look at the bigger picture without letting personal feelings hinder him. At the same time the king was not blind to the struggles of his people. He actively sent aid for refugees who had fled their homes when Niflheim had broken the peace and invaded Leide. Accompanied by the queen, the king had visited the frontlines and personally healed fatally wounded soldiers who were beyond the help of field medics while Lunafreya had guided lost souls to the Gate.
The Empire's use of controlled daemons was a cause for endless grief among the soldiers, glaives and refugees. Not only were they extremely dangerous and unpredictable as Imperial weapons and expendable cannon fodder, they also caused unclean deaths which resulted in the deceased soldiers' souls not finding the Gate and stirring unrest among the living.
The Imperials' ruthlessness was nigh immeasurable. When Noctis had proposed a temporary truce to let his men retrieve the corpses of their fallen comrades, Niflheim had accepted, but opened fire when a third of the corpses were cleared and the soldiers' guard was down. The glaives had used the king's magic to turn invisible and retrieve as many fallen Lucians as they could. Niflheim had readily exploited the Lucians' camaraderie and set traps around the remaining corpses to further increase the number of casualties. When brought to the royal couple's attention, Noctis had provided the sneaking glaives with impenetrable barriers akin to the New Wall. But just as the Wall, the barriers drained his life force and exhausted him. Once the bodies had been secured Luna guided the remaining souls to peace and supervised the digging of a mass grave, both to ensure diseases wouldn't spread and to keep wildlife and daemons from further mutilating the corpses.
The king and queen's popularity skyrocketed once word of their deeds got out. Nyx had been uncertain for the past few years, but after witnessing his king's love and devotion to his people, he could now say with absolute certainty that he would die for Noctis Lucis Caelum.
"If it eases your mind, my father informs me she was just visiting his grave. She's fine." Noctis settled back down to his desk. Nyx was aware of Noctis' connection to his forefathers through the ring of the Lucii, but it had still not ceased to amaze him how the young king could so casually speak of chatting with the dead.
Noctis put aside his work and grabbed a blank paper. He let out a sharp whistle and began to write. It didn't take long before Umbra came cantering in, his tongue lolling as he panted. The dog was ancient according to canine years, but his appearance seemed youthful as ever. Nyx knew for a fact that some of his glaives had a list of conspiracy theories on how the queen's dogs appeared to be ageless. Apparently the most popular theory was dog food mixed with powdered Phoenix Downs. As ridiculous as it was, Nyx hadn't bothered removing the list. Each soldier needed to unwind and cope with their fears in different ways. The frontline was no playground. He had dealt with his share of PTSD.
Nyx lifted his brow in confusion as he watched Noctis write.
"Doesn't hurt to send her a message to let her know she is missed", Noctis grinned with a boyish glint in his aged ruby eyes.
Nyx pulled out his phone and mutedly motioned at it. The king chuckled as if the glaive had told him a good joke.
"People and their modern technology these days. There is nothing as personal or exciting as a handwritten letter from your loved one." He folded the letter and put it inside a small container hanging from Umbra's neck and watched the dog hurry off.
"You're not worried he'll get lost or fail to deliver it on time?" Nyx glanced dubiously where the husky had been standing moments ago.
"I dare say he's more reliable than the mail or internet services of Insomnia." Noctis' voice was full of pride.
Nyx chuckled, a lopsided grin adorning his face. "If you say so."
"Make way, pregnant queen coming through!"
Noctis burst out laughing as Luna entered the reading room – or Luna's Library as they called it. It was filled with only adventure stories unlike the regular sitting room. They had read each and every book together. The wish she had made ten years ago may have started as a lie, but together they had made it a reality.
Noctis guided her to their couch and gently pulled her to lie down. She would never admit it, but he knew she suffered from back pains, dizziness and swollen ankles. Her head settled in his lap. He set his gloves aside and removed the many pins from her hair. Her blond lashes fluttered shut as he combed his bare fingers through her locks.
"I got your letter", she mumbled. "Been a while since you wrote me one."
His free hand settled on her round stomach. He could feel an occasional faint kick against his palm. He wasn't able to suppress the grin that threatened to split his face. "Was worried you'd outgrown it."
Luna peered at her husband from underneath her half-closed eyelids. "I will never outgrow that tradition. I especially appreciate the romantic letters."
Noctis beamed and leaned as far down as he could from his position to plant a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose. She crinkled her nose cutely at him.
"Tickles", she complained half-heartedly.
"Thought you liked the beard."
She attempted to sit up. Noctis quickly supported her and pulled her to sit on his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her heavy stomach lightly pressing against his.
"I never said I didn't", she whispered. Her breath was warm on his face. Her lips were mere inches apart from his, but she teasingly pulled back when he tried to close the gap.
"I'm beginning to think that might not be the case", he pouted.
"Patience, dear."
"My poor thighs might go numb by the time you're willing to indulge me", he fretted.
"Are you implying I'm heavy?"
"I'm outright stating it. There's also the fact my tired old bones aren't quite as enduring as they used to be."
She smirked. "You're not quite that old yet."
"I found grey hair this morning. Soon I'll look old enough to be your father."
"My outrageously handsome father", Luna agreed and rubbed their noses together.
Noctis took his chance to steal a kiss from her. "You sure know how to sweet-talk a guy", he murmured approvingly.
"I am merely stating facts. I seem to be more attracted to you the older you get."
"Gentiana did once mention you only dated older men. I thought back then I had no chance of winning you over." He stroked his bearded chin in thought. It was a habit he had picked up when he had allowed his facial hair to grow.
"I can't believe you two discussed my love life behind my back." She groaned and pulled away from him, but his still strong arms kept her in place.
"Hey now, I was desperate to know the odds after our rather passionless wedding night."
She turned around to let her back rest against his chest. "Hope I made up for that later."
"Oh, you certainly did", he cooed and buried his face against her slender shoulder. All these years and he still found her mere scent to be irresistible. It was like a drug; he never got tired of it. As Prompto once put it, 'too much is never enough'. He had privately dubbed himself a Lunaholic.
She opened her eyes when she felt something poke against her lips.
"Wha–" A cookie was stuffed in her mouth. She recognized it as the same brand they had eaten in Altissia.
"Brings back memories", Noctis commented after swallowing his own cookie.
"I can't seem to get the aftertaste of ketchup out of my mouth", she muttered. Thankfully the cookies remained ketchup-free, but her brain still played tricks on her when it came to this particular brand.
"Got you covered." She could hear the grin in his voice as he placed a mint pastille in her hand. She popped it in her mouth and sucked on it absently.
"Where did you even get those? I don't think they sell them outside Accordo."
"Prompto brought souvenirs. He was taking photos for a news article." He took another bite of a cookie.
Luna could tell he was silently lamenting how the cookies felt like they were missing something. She would never within her lifetime understand how someone could associate ketchup with cookies. "Should've known. Only he would encourage your bizarre eating habits."
"I'll let you know you thanked him for his thoughtful gift."
Luna lightly smacked his arm which earned her a chuckle. He continued his quest to empty the cookie bag while she followed the dance of flames within the hearth.
It had been weeks since they could simply bask in each other's presence and enjoy the peace and quiet. He had been very busy with state affairs. She had helped him whenever she could, but was often ushered out by the Council members or servants. She was too far in her pregnancy, they said. She should rest, they said. But she had refused to remain idle and continued to communicate with the gods on a daily basis. She had also resumed receiving people who wished to be blessed or let out their worries concerning their deceased loved ones. Gentiana had gently put an end to it just a few weeks ago, saying she shouldn't stress herself as the baby was able to sense it. So she did what she could to keep herself busy and perky. She was adamant on not repeating her mistakes from the previous pregnancy. She needed to keep herself active and resist falling into depression.
"How're the thighs?"
"Long gone numb."
"Why didn't you say anything?!"
"'Cause it's so worth it." Her skin tingled pleasantly where his lips touched her.
Noctis lifted his gaze as Nyx barged into the meeting room. The Council members frowned at his unannounced entrance.
"Your Majesty, the queen–"
Noctis was on his feet before the glaive managed to catch his breath, followed by Ignis and Gladiolus. "Is she alright?" he demanded and dismissed the meeting with a wave of his hand.
"Her water broke. She is giving birth as we speak."
"Take us there."
Ignis sent Prompto a message to keep him up to date as the three companions followed the glaive. Noctis was struck with a sense of déjà vu as his wife's pained screams reached his ears. He prayed to the Reaper to keep both his wife and son safe.
The next three hours were the longest in his life. He wasn't as hotheaded as he had been during her previous labour, but the urge to barge in and let her squeeze his hand to share even the smallest bit of her pain was still nearly overwhelming. Prompto arrived as quickly as he could, followed by his fiancée Cindy. The freckled blond had tried to distract the distressed king by recalling their journey to Altissia and their time there. When that failed Ignis took out a chessboard and forced Noctis to sit down and concentrate on it.
After their tenth game the doors finally opened and permitted the king to enter. His wife's body was covered in visible beads of sweat. She had passed out from exhaustion. Luna's arms cradled their son's body. Noctis could see bits of blood and white substance covering the baby's skin, but most of it had been wiped off.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty", a midwife said and curtsied low. She gently picked up the baby and wrapped him in a soft cloth before handing him to Noctis.
Mutedly he held the tiny bundle in his arms. He could tell the child had inherited his mother's down-turned almond shaped eyes while the nose was definitely his. He couldn't tell whose lips he had received, but he didn't doubt he would find out within a year or two. When the child opened his tiny mouth and let out a high-pitched cry Noctis anxiously turned to look at his wife, but she remained asleep. Unsure what to do he rocked the baby and quietly hummed. He might have imagined it, but the child seemed to calm down from the sound of his voice.
"Will she be alright?" he quietly asked the midwife.
"Everything appears to be as expected. Once she has rested and recovered she should be back to her usual self."
Silently he thanked the Reaper and sat down next to his wife. With one hand he held the baby while the other brushed Luna's damp bangs from her clammy forehead. She stirred under his touch.
"Hey."
"Hey, you." He held the baby in the air for her to see him properly. "Say hi to our son."
She weakly chuckled and lifted her hand to grab the baby's tiny hand and shook it. "Hi."
Prompto, Ignis, Gladio and Cindy were invited in to see the child. Prompto openly gushed and snapped a photo while Cindy held and softly cooed at the baby. Gladio threw half-sarcastic remarks about the baby's appearance, but Noctis could see even he was mesmerised by the miniature version of his king. Ignis was surprisingly eager to relieve Cindy of the child. Perhaps the royal advisor didn't quite trust a hard-handed mechanic with something so fragile and precious. His face remained as stoic as ever, but his eyes were tender.
After ten minutes they were gently ushered out to let the queen rest. Noctis placed his heir into a cradle and watched the servants and midwives clean the remaining mess. When a servant moved to clean the blood from his resting wife's legs Noctis took the towel and dismissed the remaining servants. He hadn't been allowed to be there for her. The least he could do was clean her up and make her feel as comfortable and clean as possible.
The baby gurgled. Noctis chuckled.
"Wonder what we'll end up calling you." Three pregnancies and they never got far enough to think about names. He hadn't dared to bring the topic up after their first child died. He might've been slightly superstitious and worried he would doom their child if he dared to hope for a successful birth.
"Regis CXIV?" Luna's lidded eyes glinted with amusement. Noctis pouted.
"None of that numbered crap. I'm the one who broke the tradition and I intend for our child to have an original name."
"Works for me", she agreed and closed her eyes. Noctis set the towel aside and undressed before slipping under the covers next to his wife. The sheets still had stains from the labour, but he hadn't wanted to move her unnecessarily. That could wait for the next day. Her warm side was pressed against his front. It would take another week before he could fully embrace her without her heavy belly separating them, but he was patient.
His wife and son had survived. His father had passed away, but he now had his own family to look after. He couldn't have been happier.
A/N: And then their child died from baby cancer and Noctis died from the Wall's strain and Luna killed herself out of grief and Niflheim conquered Lucis and everybody suffers and dies. THE END.
Kidding.
I hope I balanced the angst and fluff well enough. You've probably noticed by now that I don't like writing sexual content, so I always keep those at minimum.
Depression is something that can really alter a person and I wanted to write how someone as dutiful and internally strong as Luna could lose all hope and succumb to grief, shame and feelings of worthlessness. I also wanted to highlight how the support of others can really make a difference.
I realize Nyx probably appeared OOC in the previous chapter, but I've always seen him as a hothead who acts before he thinks. I guess I wanted to address his character a little better in this one as well. :
And about their children… I like to think that 98% of Caelum family is male. There was that one female knight in Kingsglaive, but I like to think that there's some weird genetic mumbo-jumbo that makes almost all of the Caelums' firstborns be male.
Okay, I swear I won't write anymore of this story. No more surprise updates!