a/n: as stated in the previous chapter, here's the other part happening simultaneously at the same day as in the Tenebrae Kingdom. :)

"Oblivious Fate"

By: rorudesu-chan

*

*

*

*

*

Chapter 35: Entwined Day, Caelum Kingdom

*

*

Draping a cloak over his back, the ex-military officer checked himself in front of the mirror. It was his departure day. Just last night, the Caelum Prince announced his exile to the kingdom of Vahalis and just this morning, he himself announced his immediate departure.

Thirty minutes ago, Arkenis had finished packing his things. Everything, including himself, was set to go to catch the first flight of the day. He didn't really want to leave the place. Especially now that the Caelum Company was in need of good military foundation in case any sudden attack came forth. But Arkenis couldn't do anything. Orders were orders.

A foolish Prince, he thought.

Examining himself in front of the mirror for one last time, Arkenis bent down and picked his only hand-carried luggage. He'll be back here soon, he said to himself. Not because the Prince would realize his mistake of letting go such an outstanding military leader, but because he would personally return to get the Crystal.

Outside the entrance gate, three black cars with heavily tinted windows were ready to leave the palace that morning. The first and last vehicles were to be occupied by five soldiers each while the car in the middle would be occupied by two. Waiting for their 'very-important-passenger', the soldiers were being briefed once more by the Sergeant regarding the transportation procedure of their exiled convict from the palace to the airport and finally to the destination. They were also reminded to be extremely careful in case the man tried to escape or if any outsider tried to do it otherwise.

It did not take too long before the ex-military officer finally arrived at the entrance gate. Having been under his supervision for a span of time, the Sergeant courteously greeted Arkenis before opening the door of the car which he would ride in to get to Vahalis. But before Arkenis could enter the vehicle, he remembered to say farewell to a certain child who had been a great help to his plans.

Arkenis turned to his right and looked at the young monarch who accompanied him all the way to the car.

"Princess Natalia," he said, bowing. "It has been a pleasure serving you, though I must truly apologize for this inconvenience."

"I forgive you, Arkenis." She replied, grinning faintly. "I will see you and Father soon."

Arkenis lifted his head and nodded.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop Noctis from putting you on exile." Natalia hung her head low. "I should've tried harder."

"It's alright, Princess. Besides, I know you were only doing it because you needed me to get the Prince for yourself. Am I right?"

Natalia firmly pressed her lips together.

Arkenis chuckled. "Don't feel guilty, Princess. I used you too in order to get what I wanted, just like what Prince Noctis did to your stepsister."

"Don't even bring her up." She replied sharply.

"Forgive me. I did not mean to," he said.

"That's fine." Natalia tucked a wisp of her black hair behind one ear. "She's actually one of the reasons why I've decided to stay here longer."

Listening quietly to her reason, a perplexed look came across Arkenis' face.

"I've always depended on others so that I could have whatever I wanted." Natalia frowned. "But after what happened last night, I realize that there was one thing in this world that I couldn't get and that was the heart of the Caelum Prince. Somehow, I have a very strong feeling that it doesn't belong to me though I want it to be."

Placing a sturdy hand on the man's shoulder, Natalia continued to voice out her emotions.

"I've chosen to fight for what I feel for him, Arkenis." Her lips stiffened. "I won't give up and I won't lose to her."

"Your confidence inspires me, Princess Natalia. I, too, would not back down on my plans."

"Your plans?" She asked, retrieving her hand off his shoulder. A dubious frown curled on her lips. "But I thought they were all ruined?"

Chuckling darkly, Arkenis stepped forward, bending close to the sovereign.

"I have told you before, didn't I?" he whispered to her ear. "Everything is going according to plan…"

After minutes of waiting, the Sergeant opened the door as the convicted man walked towards the second car. Glancing over his left shoulder, Arkenis smirked at the sight of a silenced Natalia. He had left her hanging, confused by what he meant with his words.

*

*

*

With arms crossed before her large breasts, a young woman leaned by a wall near the entrance of the airport's arrival zone. Her olive colored eyes warily scanned the area where many people bustled back and forth, awaiting the passengers of the flight which arrived just a few minutes ago, from the Caelum Kingdom.

It wasn't long before it seemed that almost all of that flight's passengers had exited the arrival area. Flipping back her wavy caramel locks, the woman sighed in annoyance as her patience was wearing thin for her much anticipated passenger whom she still hadn't spotted. Surely, she wouldn't have had forgotten the face of that man. After all, it had only been a couple of years since she last saw him. What could possibly change in the man physically?

Thrusting herself off the cold marble wall, the silver colored ammunition—which looked like a modified model of the regular military rifle—dangled heavily below her skirt as it was strapped around the woman's slim waist. Her mind was set to leaving the place when a deep raspy voice called her out from the side.

Turning her head toward the source of the sound, the woman approached as her long awaited passenger walked out of the arrival area at last.

"Been awhile," she greeted as she halted before an elevator which was the midpoint between their distances among the rushing crowd. "I thought you'd have at least an army of escorts to accompany you here."

"Do not be ridiculous, Zeno. This 'army' you speak of," the man replied sarcastically. "they are around. They just prefer to stay afar, monitoring my every move."

Zeno turned slowly her head to different directions.

"I frankly was not expecting you here," he laughed.

"So did I, Sir Arkenis," Zeno said, her apathetic eyes soon noticed a pair of metal restraints shackled around his wrists. "But orders are orders. It's not like I can do anything else about it."

"True," Arkenis nodded.

He became aware that Zeno was staring at his cuffed wrists. Arkenis couldn't help but smirk sarcastically as he remembered his Caelum escorts restraining him the moment they boarded the plane to Vahalis. Orders are orders—no matter which land you stood upon. And according to one of the military escorts, it was Noctis who ordered for his restraint before he presented himself before the Vahalis King. Arkenis felt like a wild dog tied down with an inescapable leash. The exiled thought it was perhaps the Prince's way of assuring King Rastus that he would do no harm while serving his temporary deportment in Vahalis.

Wanting to break the momentary silence, Arkenis parted his mouth widely. "My, my! You have certainly grown into a fine, young woman, Zeno!"

"And you've…" Zeno paused, raising an eyebrow while examining Arkenis physically from head to toe. "grown, as well Sir… Old."

Arkenis laughed, his gray beard flaunted. "Well! You do not need to remind me of that, child. I do not think I would need further disappointments from here on."

"Disappointments?"

"I was really hoping that Rastus would personally come to greet me, since that was what he said if ever I decided to pay his country a visit. But then, seeing that your King had some things else better to do, I guess that his absence before me right now is excusable. I am still a tad bit disappointed though. "

Glancing at the silver wristwatch underneath the sleeve of her jacket, Zeno smirked to which Arkenis wondered if there was something ridiculous with what he said.

"King Rastus might not have been able to come. But I brought someone else along with me, Sir Arkenis."

"Who?"

An answer was about to come out of Zeno's cherry painted lips when a loud ting! rang from the elevator before them. Both initially thought that the man who stepped out of the lift was another passenger who came back to the arrival area using the exit elevator. But as the man approached Arkenis and Zeno, it became clear for the latter who it was, with the aid of her sharp peripheral vision.

The man wasn't a man—yet. But a lad, still in his teens.

Flipping her head to the right, Zeno gestured the convict to look to his left and see who she meant to bring with her to the airport.

Turning his attention to one side, Arkenis fathomed the figure of 'that' boy walking through the sea of people. He was half-heartedly perplexed.

"You," Arkenis said in raspy tone. He shook his shackled wrists lightly as if saying, 'look at what you've done to me'.

Zeno approached the boy. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry," he replied, not answering her question. Zeno rolled her eyes in response. His little brother had always been that way to her, not knowing that she was actually a lot colder than he was.

With straightforward eyes, Arkenis looked the boy as he poised his glasses to close to his face. "What… is your true color, Salsus?"

Salsus smirked at the old man mentioning his name. Shoving a hand into the pocket of his jeans, he retrieved a small metal key. Salsus walked over to Arkenis, lifted the latter's hands and with a thrust into the lock using the key, the convict's iron fetters loosened.

A cunning smile curled Arkenis' mustached lips. The metal cuffs clanged its way to the marble floor as Arkenis briskly rubbed his sore wrists.

Zeno eyed Salsus for a long time before finally congratulating him for a job well done. "Eventually, the snake crawls back into the abyss."

"For it craves the dark," added Arkenis.

"When does it begin?" Salsus asked coldly.

Arkenis glanced at Zeno, signaling her to answer for him.

"Heard that there's an upcoming dance in Regius,"

Frowning, Salsus pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "Hmph. Let the games begin then."

*

*

*

"Any questions, gentlemen?" a hand politely gestured in the air, "Clarifications?"

Questioning indigo eyes scanned the faces of every board officer present in tonight's meeting. Noctis wanted to make sure that all company employees were already well-informed about Sir Arkenis' 'early retirement'.

The Prince was quite sure that a number of people, especially those that had grown close with the ex-military officer during his years of service, would ask about his sudden disappearance. Of course, Noctis couldn't simply tell them about Arkenis' treachery to the Caelum and Tenebrae Kingdom, which was actually the reason why he ordered for his temporary exile in Vahalis. The truth would be too grave for the other Caelum officials to handle since no one would easily believe—not even Noctis at first when he heard it from Salsus—that a man whose ambition to protect the kingdom and make it into a strong empire, would become so desperate for power that he would succumb to killing another monarch. Furthermore, Noctis didn't want Arkenis' sudden resignation to cause a sociopolitical uproar among the other countries, especially not to Tenebrae, for now.

Besides, no one else, except a carefully selected few, knew about the true story behind the Crystal and its depreciation. And it would seem that Noctis intended to keep things this way as much as possible.

Finally, a man dressed in a brown suit stood up. Noctis quickly drew his attention on his fellow official whom he knew as the kingdom's financial secretariat.

"Thank you, Mr. Caelum," the man said as he continued to gain attention from the other company officers. "I am quite sure that all of us in this room now understand Sir Arkenis' resignation. His early leave saddens me because I have known him for so long already. I truly hope that we all get to see him again one day. Visiting this company, perhaps?"

"Visiting would be a good idea, Mr. Octavius." Noctis lied.

"It would," Octavius smiled crookedly. Bony fingers stroked the gray wisps of his beard. "However,"

Noctis perceived how the secretariat's grin slowly faltered. He felt an ill feeling rising in his gut.

Octavius began looking the Prince straight in the eye. "There was this rumor concerning you and a certain Ambassador, Mr. Caelum. Now," a digit of his hand wagged in the air, "problem is that I just can't seem to put a finger on which Ambassador that was."

Noctis glanced to the other side of the long table as the secretariat for advertising and media publications answered his fellow officer's inquiry.

"Ambassador Fleuret, I believe."

"Yes, I heard it was Ambassador Stella Nox Fleuret of the Tenebrae Kingdom," confirmed another officer seated beside Octavius.

"Oh, the young blonde girl?" asked another official.

"Ah, yes!" exclaimed Octavius, remembering. "There was a rumor that spread around the company regarding you and Ambassador Fleuret. It had something to do on that night of the International Kingdom Conference. I don't know if it's true though, which is why I'd like to hear your honest comments regarding this matter, Mr. Caelum."

Moans of agreement filled the air of the airconditioned room. Heads bobbed up and down; knuckles and elbows rested upon the table as all eyes were now meticulously turned to the Prince, who at that time was pretending to check the metal clipboard for the meeting's next agenda.

Slowly lifting his head, Noctis calmly asked, "Well, I can't give an honest comment if I don't what it is that all of you are starting to believe," he laughed politely. "It is a rumor, isn't it?"

Mr. Octavius rubbed his bearded chin. "It is a rumor,"

"And you want an honest comment about it, Mr. Octavius?"

"Everyone else does,"

"But I cannot honestly comment on it if it is a rumor. Because in the first place, there is no basis for its credibility since I myself wasn't with Ambassador Fleuret on that very night."

"Though most of the company employees had already gone home for the night, there were a few people who saw you—witnessed you—bringing her inside this company… At least that is what we've heard."

Murmurs were heard around the table. Some of the officials now doubted the Caelum Prince's words. But as they checked any signs of nervousness on his face, they failed as the board only saw a composed feature, tainted with a slight hint of perplexity—perhaps the result of the allegation.

After a few moments of notable silence, a smirk flashed across Noctis' lips. "I wonder who you would all rather believe," his cobalt irises scanned the board members, "me, the one who has not even heard of this rumor? Or those, who made so much effort of passing false stories about the Ambassador and I?"

"But, what about the reported traces of blood that was found in the basement? Surely, that the 'false intruder alarm' wasn't just some rumor!"

"Traces of blood? How would you know that there was any, Mr. Octavius? The only people who are allowed to enter the Crystal's sanctuary are those permitted by a Caelum family member and himself."

Upon hearing Noctis' answers, the rest of the Caelum officials who were sitting down, swerved their heads back to Mr. Octavius. The conversation between the two high-ranking employers was like an open tennis match; as the ball bounced back and forth, so did the spectators' eyes.

Mr. Octavius lowered his head. "My apologies, Mr. Caelum," he sighed, heavily, "Perhaps I got a bit carried away by the situation. You probably know why I must have acted this way."

"The absence of a dear friend does heavily affect our emotions at times."

"No, I'm afraid that that is not the only reason, Mr. Caelum." Octavius raised his head and waved his arms in the air, "The Crystal… We are all responsible of protecting and developing it. Because without the Crystal, this company, this kingdom, would be nothing. We are very much dependent on its power, which is why I hope that the wretched depreciation would get fixed as soon as possible."

Noctis glanced away, taking his seat. "Like I said, it is a temporary malfunction which occurs in a certain period of time every now and then. Rest assured that the Crystal is under observation and that the company shall be taking necessary procedures in order repair the problem."

Satisfied with Noctis' statements, Octavius smiled brightly. "Brilliant, as always, Mr. Caelum."

*

*

*

The meeting was adjourned a few minutes later. Leaning backwards with a heel propped on his other leg, Noctis leafed through the curriculum vitas of the kingdom's top, leading military enforcers. With Arkenis no longer the head of the Caelum army, an immediate promotion for an officer was called into attention, provided that his résumé qualified for his step up in the government position.

Noctis was about to finish reading half of the CVs when he heard footsteps approaching. Pausing for awhile, he spun on his swivel chair, smirking at the person who had greeted him first with a courteous bow.

"I believe there something that's supposed to happen at your school tomorrow," the executive secretary assumed as the roasted smell of coffee quickly wafted across the room.

"There is?" asked the young monarch while glancing on the round wall clock across the table. "It's probably nothing important, really. This," Noctis gestured a finger toward the files, "should mean more to me and the company."

The secretary did not give Noctis a reply. Instead, he placed a tall, Styrofoam cup on his table and opening its lid, Julio tore the packet of creamer that came along with the coffee. Noctis observed as steam rose from the cup's brown liquid. As Julio quietly stirred the white powder into the hot drink, the Prince immediately noticed that his secretary wanted to say something, yet perhaps he was too shy to begin. So Noctis took the initiative instead.

"So, how much of the meeting did you hear, Julio?" the Prince said, tossing the CVs onto the table while poising himself properly in his seat.

Surprised by Noctis' words, Julio realized that he had mixed the Prince's coffee a little bit too much. He knew that his silence would not get pass Noctis' keen observation.

"It… was enough to prove that you had lied to the board," Julio replied sadly. "You know what really happened that night. You were at the basement with her. I'm a witness to your actions, Prince Noctis."

Noctis' face straightened. "You didn't tattle about it, did you?"

"I didn't," Julio assured, tapping the silver stirring spoon on the cup's rim before setting it aside. "It's none of my business, really."

"Thanks," Noctis smirked, believing that he really couldn't.

"What's wrong with you, Prince Noctis? It's not like you to do such a thing."

Noctis grunted. "What would you have done if you were in my place then?"

"Tell the truth," said Julio, his voice, quivering. "And then fix this mess."

"It's not as easy as you think," he frowned. "There are many, many things that the board doesn't know about the Crystal. Those are secrets which are painstakingly kept by every Caelum successor."

"And I presume that I don't even know them, though I am your personal secretary?"

"Sorry," the Prince shook his head sideways.

"I see," Julio said, with a hint of disappointment in his tone. "Well then, I'll be off now, Prince Noctis."

"Good night, Julio." Taking the steaming coffee by its cup jacket, Noctis watched as Julio made his way to the door.

But realizing that there was something else he wanted to say, Julio slowly stopped in his tracks, lingering by the door. "Oh, yes! How is she, by the way?

"Who?" the Prince gripped his drink tightly.

Julio chuckled. "Please stop acting like you don't know who I'm talking about, Prince Noctis. I just want to send my regards to the Ambassador, that's all."

"She's… doing fine," Noctis mumbled, shifting his gaze from Julio as far away as possible.

"Mhm… That's rather good to hear." Julio nodded, opening the door. "Anyhow, you don't have to worry yourself about those rumors, Prince Noctis. I'll see to it that the people, who did see you and the Ambassador going to the basement that night, will quietly, keep things to themselves. It will be a difficult and confusing process, but if that is what takes to earn the Prince's trust then, I'm willing to take risks."

Without any word, Julio closed the door behind him and left the Prince in the hands of his bodyguards who were securing the room from the outside.

Noctis brought the cup before his lips and blew away the hot mist of his caffeinated drink. Taking a cautious sip, he pondered over the few things that had occurred tonight. Strange night, he said to himself. If he had something that he didn't want any other company employer to know regarding the Crystal, he would've told a wholly different story—one which didn't require him to lie about something which was clearly obvious. But apparently, there had been an inversion: he lied.

Noctis couldn't help but wonder how and why. But knowing if he tried hard to come up with an answer, he would just be wasting time. And it seemed that he didn't have much of that anymore.

*

*

*

*

*

a/n: *squeals* a new character! Zeno Faust! Just who is she, really?? And *gasp* Sal?! Making a comeback? A snake he is... or maybe not.. What can you say about this chapter? Please don't forget to Review/Comment/Criticize!! THANK YOU!! I'm really working hard to make every chapter update, worthwhile. :)

-

-

rorudesu-chan's goal: "Oblivious Fate reviews count to reach 300 and up!" Please help me attain this goal by reviewing this chapter! Thanks again! :D