Prompt: #42 Prevail

Summary: You just have to use your powers of persuasion.

A/N: This continues the Noctum/Eclipse series.

Exoro is Latin for "to prevail upon a person; entreat successfully".

Exoro

It was one of the few times that they had actually been at odds with each other. She knew that he could be stubborn and it was definitely in effect now. Normally, she would have just looked past it. In many things she was a very malleable sort of person. She knew all about compromise and yielding when it was necessary. It was just that she could not back down from this, no matter how much he tried to persuade her otherwise. She was determined to have her way. Now, it was very sweet of him to be so thoughtful of her reputation but he needed to realize that he had no reason to worry. The reputation he thought he was protecting by resisting her request was unfounded. If anything, he might damage it with his refusal. She had already established that there would be no other man for her but him, ever. She would like to think that he felt the same way. He did feel the same way, she was sure of it. It could not have been something that he would have hidden from her all this time. Not when he had already told her that there was nothing about her that he would find insufficient.

Thinking of it that way, he had not said that he thought they had a permanent relationship either. He had merely been telling her that despite the misunderstanding from before, he did find her more than suitable. It had been the scar he had given her that had made him look at her so regretfully and not about anything he thought she was lacking. That was a little different from saying that he thought that they were going to always be together, though. That did not tell her that he had any intention of marrying her eventually either. Eventually being the keyword. They were not ready to make such a commitment right now anyway. All it really said was that he found her attractive. Which did not help matters at all because now she felt almost upset at their lack of title. It made her question whether he was even thinking about something like that. To ask him, would probably be a disaster. Noctis did not seem to be the sort of man that a woman could make such demands from. Was she even important enough to him to ask such a thing anyway? She was almost horrified to realize that she did not know the answer to that. Of course she was important in a way, he had said he was falling in love with her. She was also a Crystal Bearer, which made her all the more vital to him. It just did not tell her if she was as imperative to him as he was to her. His importance in her life had nothing to do with his powers or his kingdom. It had everything to do with who he was as an individual, not what he was and it hurt to think that he might not share those feelings.

These thoughts would really get her no where but of course, once they had entered her mind she was enslaved by them. It was not fair for her to even think such things. Their relationship was new and tentative and to begin making such demands so early on would scare any hot blooded young man, let alone Noctis. That was not entirely true though. They were not normal people so their ideas of courtship were not at the pace of anyone else. A royal did not date just anyone and they did not date just to date. When a royal courted, they were meaning to marry. That was just the way things worked for them. They did not have the luxury of having countless ex boyfriends because they were not allowed to have them. Maybe it was just an old Tenebrae custom though. Maybe the royalty in Nihil were more up to date in the ethics of dating. This was all new to her. She felt like such a novice and so naïve. It seemed incredibly benign to say that Noctis was simply her boyfriend, but what other term could she give him? 'Her Intended' seemed too presumptuous.

Stella startles with a gasp. She was turning into one of those kinds of women. The ones that get completely irrational when it came to their relationships. The ones that make unrealistic demands from their significant others. She knew that Noctis had special feelings for her. He loved her, even though he had not said it. Though silly, he had her best intentions at heart by refusing her request. She was the one just being ridiculous. It was the stress. That was what was to blame here. It had her emotions frayed and out of sorts. She needed to talk to Noctis but she needed to speak to him with a calm demeanor and not the screeching banchee that she was tempted to be. That would probably not be conducive to getting him to do what she wanted. She needed to be rational, not emotional if she was to entreat him successfully.

Taking a long breath, she feels more like herself. Momentary lapse of control and now she was back to her cheerful self.

"You wanted to see me, Stella?"

The voice makes her jump and an undignified squeak escapes her lips before she turns around to see the very subject of her thoughts standing just before her. He looks a little wary and he would, her note asking for him was not particularly friendly. She can feel his wariness mixed in with a general contentment at being with her. This newfound level of comfort between them is something that she cherishes when she knows he is not comfortable with just anyone. It makes her feel embarrassed by her hormone triggered irrationality from before.

"I, I apologize for the curtness of my message," she says.

"I know we are at odds," he says neutrally, with a nod. "But I did not come here to fight."

"I did not ask you to for that either," she answers. "Not now anyway."

"But you did before?" he asks and there is a slight teasing note to his voice that makes her smile.

"Yes," she admits with a nod. "But I realize that I was being too pushy."

He raises an eyebrow at the adjective.

"How are you being now?" he asks, intrigued. The teasing note was blatant now.

"Determined," she amends. "I shall prevail in my request."

Another man probably would have sighed in that long suffering way and might have even taken a step back to steel himself for the upcoming argument, but not Noctis. He merely steps closer to her instead.

"Could you not just understand my reasons?" he asks. He looks down and takes her hand in his.

"You need to understand mine," she says firmly. "This is my coronation. I must show my people what we are."

He brings her hand up to weave his fingers through hers.

"They already know," he says.

That they did. They had never tried to hide their budding relationship, no matter that she did not know what it was exactly.

"Are you embarrassed of me?" she teases, solely to get a reaction out of him.

He frowns. "I would think it was you who would be embarrassed to be attached to me."

She was not expecting that.

"What do you mean?"

"I am the playboy prince of Nihilsomno," he claims. "There have been many a lady that has had the pleasure of my company. You are the bright star of your nation. The pure jewel of your kingdom and you want me to be by your side when you are appointed Queen. It would taint you."

"It would only taint me if you had no intentions to marry me," she says boldly. She watches his face carefully for any flicker of panic at the suggestion but there are none. If anything, he looked as if he was weighing his next words carefully.

She is not sure what she expects him to say but she is almost relieved to get it out in the open.

"Then I shall be by your side when you are rightly appointed Queen," he accepts finally. He brings their joined hands to his lips and presses a lingering kiss of promise to her palm.

It was not a direct response to her veiled question, but it was enough. Noctis was blunt and forward about a lot of things but he was also very vague with things that were closest to his heart. He was not a man who liked to wear his heart on his sleeve and be vulnerable. Getting him to admit that he was starting to feel anything romantic for her had been a challenge. The fact that he was here, kissing her hand and pulling her close was a testament to the fact that his feelings for her were deep. That he did intend to marry her. It gave her hope that one day, he would himself to her more and have no reservations about his feelings. This would not happen immediately but she had a reason to believe that one day, he would trust her enough to tell her anything. She had no reason to be unhappy now. He was complying with her wish and it made her glad that she had prevailed. Now she almost feels as if she could fly from how her heart was soaring. Perhaps deeming him, Her Intended, was not so presumptuous after all.