His feet buckling behind, the emaciated blonde ran to Noctis with a huge grin plastered on his face, his shotgun hanging over his shoulder.
"Hey there, lover boy, daddy's calling you!" He greeted and laughed at his attempt to joke. Noctis arched his eyebrows at the young man before him as the blonde choked and banged his fist over his sternum, coughing insalubriously.
His smile faded upon realising that the dark haired prince was glowering at him.
"Prompio, I am in no mood to listen to your folly," Noctis huffed, rolling his violet coloured eyes.
"Please call me Po! I hate the name Prompio and I'm serious, His Majesty sent me to fetch you," the blonde said, his smile faded from his lips and his eyebrows were now furrowed together.
Noctis' eyes were suddenly larger on his face; he pushed Prompio aside and ran down the corridor to the King's private chambers. Prompio followed him almost falling over from the speed to catch up with the prince.
He heeded no attention to the dark corridors but felt curiosity build up inside him at why the King needed to talk to the prince and in such a solemn tone of voice, he asked Samuel to fetch the prince.
Prompio stopped beside the King's largest chamber. Noctis was waiting there patiently with his arms crossed across his chest. Prompio huffed for more oxygen; he leaned over with his hands on his knees, taking deep gulps of air.
"Noct, seriously, one of these days I'm just gonna die trying to run after you. I mean, seriously, like, seriously!" Prompio panted, throwing his leans arms upwards. Noctis wore a bemused expression.
"I advice you, Po to seriously get that awful ass of yours to the gym," he jested. A faint glow danced across Prompio's face. His cool blue eyes were suddenly smouldering with ire.
"Noct! I mean, seriously! How do you expect me to catch up with you when you use you're stupid 'special powers'?" he snapped, throwing a playful punch across the prince's shoulder. Noctis shook his head in disbelief and uttered how unintelligent Samuel was.
Before their argument got grim, a powerful booming voice called Noctis inside.
"Don't piss in your pants if he found out that you stayed with Stella last night,"Prompio grinned. Noctis placed his palm over the blonde's lean face and pushed him aside before entering the room, ignoring Samuel's curses.
His father's room was dark albeit a few candles that were lit on golden candle rods. A chandelier of candles was hanging directly above the large king-sized bed. Noct recalled how the chandelier had frightened him as a child.
He was still a bit afraid if it would fall or if the candles set the bed curtains on fire. His eyes turned to the aging man nearing fifty, sitting on a crystal blue chair.
"Father..." he said, his voice suddenly shook nervously. Victoire didn't seem to hear him. His face was gazing at the wall but his eyes were empty, looking into a portal of the past.
Noctis cleared his throat. Victoire jumped in his seat before turning to the prince.
"Noctis, come," he said gesturing at the space in front of him. Noctis nodded before walking slowly over to Victoire. His heart rummaged in his chest as sweat trickled from his temple.
Victoire turned his gaze to the younger man, his eyes bore through his son's like melting ice. Noctis stared at the floor, realising the intricate chilly designs that swirled over the cashmere carpet.
"How is my son this afternoon?" Victoire said, causing the prince to flinch. A cryptic air hung on the atmosphere around them. Noctis nodded as an answer. As if contagious, Victoire nodded in understanding.
"Have you met Rozin today?" the King's voice cut any hope like a knife. The prince recoiled slightly, his lips curved into a grimace.
Rozin...He was supposed to practice Dark Arts with Rozin this morning. That idiot must have mentioned his absence to the King.
"No father," Noctis replied politely.
"Why is that, may I ask?"
Noctis attempted to peek at Victoire's face but lowered his gaze when he realised the heated anger in his father's eyes. Noctis sighed and wiped his forehead with his palm. The faded scars on his back ached as if they were lashed upon once again.
"Father, I could explain about last night-"
"Last night?" Victoire mused, quirking a brow. Noctis avoided cringing. He thought about his time with Stella guiltily. They didn't mean to lose themselves in passion. It was wrong for young royal couples to do...That...And worst of all, before marriage.
Great going, now you're stuck!
"What happened last night? Did you stay somewhere forbidden to you?" Victoire rebounded as if reading his thoughts. Noctis stammered for words.
Of course it was forbidden! It was Stella's bedroom!
The prince ran a hand through his navy hair but immediately came to recognition that he let his cool demeanour wilt away.
"Father, I think it's time Stella and I should get married," he stated boldly. He dropped his arm back to his side and restrained a satisfied smirk for having courage.
"No," Victoire replied calmly. Noctis' lips parted in shock. He probed into this matter, asking his father for the truth to his denial.
"How dare you try to reason with me? I am your father and the King of this country. I shall decide who you will marry."
"But-but father, Stella and I have been engaged for a long while now. Wouldn't it be appropriate that we should exchange the marital vows?" Noctis asked anxiously. His eyebrows furrowed together with worry, his eyes met Victoire's with an intense stare.
Are they new wrinkles?
"Do not raise your voice at me. Didn't you learn enough after you're fiendish incident a long time ago?" Victoire reprimanded in tone that caused the prince to stiffen with fear. Noctis gazed back at the floor and murmured an apology.
A moment of silence passed between them. Noctis shifted uncomfortably. Victoire was the first to speak.
"Your engagement to Stella is no more."
"What?" Noctis darted his gaze back to the King. He shook his head incredulously and almost pleaded for Victoire to take his words back. Victoire smiled, one that held no humour, and stood up walking to a closet.
"I do not understand! What are you saying, father?" Noctis impeded, following him. Victoire gave a mirthless chuckle. He opened a drawer on the closet and removed a velvet fedora hat.
"You're engaged to Princess Ashelia B'nargin of Dalmasca now. She will help remove the curse of Somnus off of you and you shall marry her within the next week."
Noctis came to halt and imagined the room breaking like glass around him. His gloved fingers curled into his palms, the worry in his eyes replaced with shock and disbelief.
"No! Why are you doing this!" he yelled, almost grabbing Victoire's arm. He laid his hand firmly in its place, not daring to attempt a move like that again. Victoire glared at him coldly and placed the fedora hat over his head. He sauntered his way to the door, before stopping in his tracks and glancing at his son over his shoulder.
"It's for your own good," he responded, holding the door knob, eyes flickering with burning malice. Noctis had his hands in his hair, dropping down on his knees. He glanced at Victoire with twisted rage, blinking back angry tears.
"You're doing this for revenge, aren't you? It's all for revenge because of mother, isn't it!"
He felt satisfied seeing Victoire become rigid in his spot. The King's face suddenly turned paler than usual. He gave Noctis another hard glare and spoke in a dry, resenting tone.
"Perhaps it is, Noctis. Even though you're a twenty-one year old man now, you shall never be forgiven for what you did to Yvonne almost twelve years ago..."
He left, slamming the door behind him and leaving a bewildered, petulant prince to cry in the room.
Prompio almost screamed from fright when he heard Victoire slamming the door violently. His long arms flailed hectically before he forced his clumsy body to bow before the King.
Victoire raised an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty, if you do not mind me asking, where's Noctis?" Prompio asked curiously. He knew that father and son never got along well but in public they at least feigned a relationship, even if it was to be in front of him.
Maybe they finally understood how one can't be stronger without the other.
Prompio grinned at his thought, silently hoping that the conversation between the two went well, whatever it was about.
Victoire grunted in reply and left, leaving Prompio regretting any thoughts of false hope. He shrugged when the King was out of sight and surveyed the area to make sure no one was looking before sneaking his way into Victoire's room.
"Noct, like seriously-"
Prompio stopped in his tracks to find Noctis hunched over on the crystal blue chair, his elbows leaning on the arm-rests, his face covered by his hands. If Prompio listened closely, he heard something doleful in the room, almost as if someone was sobbing but very quietly.
"Noct...Geesh man, what happened?" he asked with genuine concern, running over to the dark haired prince and tugging at his shoulder.
"I prefer to be alone right now, Prompio," Noctis replied in a muffled voice. Prompio felt his heart drop from hearing the prince's bitter tone.
"I mean, seriously, man. You can always share with me to enlighten your load."
"I said to leave me alone."
"Never fear when Po is here. Remember with me around, happiness can be found just around the corner!"
"I said go away!" Noctis tore his hands away from his face and stood up to thrust Prompio towards the door. Prompio felt slightly hurt and astonished to receive this behaviour from the prince. Noctis may have been arrogant and callous to others but to him, the prince was quite friendly.
Noctis tensed as if reading the blonde's thoughts.
"I apologise," he sighed and turned away. Prompio rubbed his arm, the area Noctis shoved at with angry force.
"No prob, man...I guess I'll just leave?"
"Yes...I mean no! – I mean -..." Noctis placed a hand on his hair and groaned with aggravation. prompio felt confused with the prince's actions. He stayed to listen to a confession.
Noctis sat back down at the chair.
"I'm getting married to a Dalmascan Princess..."
"What? Are you serious man?"
"Yes."
"That's – That's blasphemy! I always got fails in history but even someone as stupid as me knew that none of the countries,Caelum, Tenebrae, Lindana, Sophia, Nijum, Thames and Lithium, ever had any royal marriages with-"
"Shut up you dumbass! I know! This was my father's absurd decision!" Noctis once again got into his hunched posture as Prompio struggled for words. The blonde rubbed his neck and sighed.
"What about Stella?" Instantly, Prompio wished he never brought her up after seeing the pain forming in the prince's eyes. He received no reply. That explained the crying...
"I lost her..." Noctis said after a long moment of awkward silence. Prompio shook his head in pity. He was never good at dealing with sad people. Maybe it was time for him to sneak back out.
"I'm sure the Dalmascan Princess isn't all that bad. Though she's merely nineteen, I heard, she's supposed to be beautiful!" he grinned encouragingly. Noctis' pouted his lips in fury. Prompio's grin died away and he regretted saying that too.
Geesh, what could one guy do?
"Come on Noct, Stella is just another woman!"
"Shut up, you idiot! That's not the problem! Of course she's just another woman!"
"Eh?" Okay, now he felt really confused. Noctis' response was spontaenuous and mesmerized the thin felt dismayed for being the prince's friend. His eyes lingered to the door, longing to leave this scene.
"Stella...She...She could be..."
"What?"
"You absurd idiot! I am making an attempt to speak with you!"
"Eh?"
Noctis sighed in frustration and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He caught the blonde by the vest, causing the latter to squeal in shock.
"Promise not to tell anyone?"
"Noct, you know I never tell anyone about your 'dirty' secrets," Prompio smirked. Noctis frowned at this.
"You make a man so angry that he may forget his love and his woes," he murmured. Prompio rolled his eyes and encouraged the prince to 'spill the beans'.
"Stella might be carrying my child..."
"Holy cow's shit! I mean, seriously! Like seriously, seriously! LIKE SERIOUSLY!"