Hopeless Romantic? Hopeless In General

Chapter Fourteen, Part Two

notes: smut/sex/mild language mature 18+

I took a step back, hitting the foldout bed with the back of my knees. “But… it’s daytime! And everyone’s right outside the door!”

“It’ll be quick. I just need to know that you want me, Deni.” He took me by the shoulders, “I need a little assurance that you’re still considering me.”

I stepped to my right, putting a few inches between us, not bothering to hide the venom in my words, “And a quickie now is the way to prove that?”

He sighed, realizing the error of his ways. “No. You’re right.”

But I don’t think he was completely wrong. My mind tells me I did the right thing, but my body was just as ready as his to make this happen. I reached out and clutched his belt buckle as he began to turn away. He paused, glancing back at me.

My heartbeat pulsed hard throughout my body as I whispered, “We’ve got about five minutes before they get suspicious.”

The first minute went by with fevered kissing and insults that our boots couldn’t come off faster. Boots, pants and underwear scattered across the floor. We didn’t waste time removing our tops.

Minute two. Kissing and getting a real look at each other in the daylight. He was at full attention when I touched him, and from between my legs, his fingers came away wet.

Minute three. I was standing facing him, pressed against the bathroom door when he entered me. It was amazing, and as he pumped at me, groaning with effort and pleasure, I clasped his shoulders tight. Breathing hard, I began to think maybe I could spend my life with him.

Minute four. My trembling knees made standing awkward, so he carried me to the bed he and Ignis had occupied just a few hours before. We had to lay length-ways, and he grabbed my hips, pumping faster. I feared we were rocking the camper and everyone would know what we were doing, but it felt too good to stop.

Minute five. Gladio slid the pillow from the pillowcase and muttered that he was ready. I had no idea what that meant until he pulled out, ejecting into the pillowcase instead of me. He lay beside me, panting, and he smiled. “I love you, Deni.”

Minute six. I sat up on my elbow to lean over and peck his lips. At that moment, I was ready to say those words. “I love you, Gladio.”

He sighed in relief that I had finally admitted it and took me into his arms, pulling me onto his chest. “Let’s take today off and lay here until tomorrow morning.”

The door handle jiggled, and someone knocked. “Come on, how long does it take to wash your hands? Your breakfast is getting cold.”

I pulled away in fear that we would be found half-naked like this, and I reached for the blanket.

“Noct,” Gladio deduced. He ran a finger down my side before sitting up. “Well, duty calls. Need any help?”

I shook my head as he got up, walking bare-assed to find his clothes and wash up. I got up after, wiping myself down with a wet washcloth and then dressing. Catching my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I saw my cheeks were still bright red with exertion and my legs felt like limp noodles. I shooed him toward the door.

“Go on,” I told him, “It’s been too long already. I’ll stay in here, and wash this pillowcase too.”

With a nod, he followed my suggestion and stepped out.

I stayed in the bathroom, washing my face, washing dirty clothes, wondering if I wasn’t doing something terrible. It felt so right when we were together, but I always had doubts afterward.

“Here, babe!” Gladio called out. When I opened the door, he was gone, but there was a breakfast plate on the table. I hung up the wet clothes over the shower curtain to dry, fixed my hair, and sat down to eat, a smile on my face from hearing him call me ‘babe.’ Not a minute went by before the door opened and Ignis joined me at the table.

“Really?” was all he said, a stern, disappointed expression on his face.

My expression didn’t falter, thinking of Gladio’s smile as he said he loved me.

“You do realize your mother was outside.”

The pancakes were good, but the eggs were especially fluffy. I really did miss my mom’s cooking. I purposely replied with my mouth full, “She approves.”

“Excuse me?”

“Have you talked to Gladio? Because he’ll tell you the same thing. She likes him. Have you ever spoken to him about his future? Or do you just lecture people until they give in to you?”

“Actually, most people respect what I have to say.”

“Fine,” I took another delicious bite, “Go talk to them.”

Ignis shifted in his seat uncomfortably, but he continued, “Ardenia, this... business with Gladio… you understand he’s not serious, right? I’ve known him a lot longer than you have, and I… I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I set my fork down, suddenly losing my appetite. Perhaps I was correct to have doubts about him. “Why would you say that? Are you implying that he’s lying to me, just to...” I couldn’t say the words; I didn’t want to admit out loud that we were messing around. Luckily, we heard Prompto’s voice outside.

“Hey guys! It’s Umbra! Umbra’s here!”

Ignis stood and I followed suit, but he paused at the door, turning to me. “I will not lie to you. And I will not lie for them. I think he has the best of intentions, but don’t expect results.” With that, Ignis stepped outside.

Drawing a deep breath, I tried to steady my nerves and my shaking legs. Now was not the time to wonder if Gladio was using me or not. Following Ignis out, I saw Noctis leaning over a gray dog with white markings on his eyebrows.

“Hey boy,” Noctis greeted, taking a small red notebook from the dog’s collar. He flipped through a few pages before writing a message inside, slipping the book back into place before any of us could see what he sent.

“Where’d the dog come from?” I asked quietly.

Despite the awkward lecture a moment ago, Ignis answered amiably, “Umbra is a messenger between Noctis and Lady Lunafreya. He allows them to communicate although they haven’t seen each other since they were children.”

“They haven’t? But they’re getting married?”

“Some people have a deeper calling than basic desires.”

I frowned, taking offense.

Noct stood as Umbra ran forward a few feet, then paused, looking back. Noct smiled, “Guess he wants us to follow him.”

Without time to gather our belongings, we rushed after Noct and Umbra past the Chocobo Post, past the truck trading weapons, to a small, quiet clearing.

There ahead, Noct was speaking to a fair-skinned woman with silken black hair that reached her slim waist. She seemed to appear out of nowhere, as no one saw her approach. Her dress was finely tailored in black and white. She spoke in riddles, but only Noct and Ignis seemed to understand the meaning. She never opened her eyes while she spoke, and I wondered if she was blind.

I stepped closer to Ignis to whisper, “Who is she?”

“You can see her?”

“Why wouldn’t I? That’s a strange question.”

“She is a link between the Six and the Oracle, making the Gods’ Wills known to her alone. Her name is Gentiana.”

I was too far back to hear all that was said between this person- deity?- and Noct, but the storm clouds threatening earlier began to produce purple lightning, and I heard her say something about Noct finding power in three locations. We had only turned for a moment to talk and witness that strange lightning, but both Umbra and Gentiana had vanished by the time we blinked.

“Noct,” Ignis adjusted his glasses, “I suggest we make this our top priority.”

“Yeah,” Gladio agreed, “Deities over Royal Tombs.”

The prince nodded and we headed back to camp to pack up. I really didn’t want to face my mother after what had just happened in the camper, so I busied myself helping one of Wiz’s few employees saddle up the Chocobos. Noct procured us a few more bounties from Wiz, and Prompto got to fulfill one of his lifelong dreams by renting a team of Chocobos for a day.

The birds were quite docile now and easy to control. I never realized it while I was training them, but now with five of us together, it was hard to ignore the caws Chocobos made with every single jump. There was no way we were going anywhere stealthily while we rode the birds. I did inform the guys along the way that once your Chocobo trusts you, it will begin to learn new things and become a faithful ride, even respond to a new name. Needless to say, but Prompto was excited and began to ramble off a dozen name options. My favorite was how happy he sounded calling his, “Little Buddy.”

Our path wasn’t hard to follow; rain was coming down in buckets, and we were getting drenched tracking the singular bolt of purple lightning. It led us back toward the behemoth’s lair, and the birds were too frightened to continue inside. We had to go on foot. While the others rushed ahead, I was paranoid about fighting Voretooths in the rain again, or heading back to the quarry so soon, but the lightning led us on a different path. Noct’s destination was in an alcove, where a single leafless, petrified tree stood, embedded in rock. It was covered in a thick, hard substance that reminded me of the crystallized pillars around the Disc. We were about twenty feet back when Noctis placed his hand upon the tree. Lightning struck it, sending a current of energy throughout the prince’s body. He stepped back, and as he turned to us, doubled over in pain, one hand pressed against his temple. I was afraid he had been electrocuted, but he didn’t appear hurt except for his headache. He’d had so many of them lately that I wished I could absorb the pain for him.

Ignis stated, “A small price to pay for communing with Gods and Deities.”

Chapter Fourteen- Part One

notes: prelude to smut/mild language

Chapter Fourteen: Instructions

I was rudely awakened the next morning by Gladio kicking my foot. As my vision focused and I sat up, rubbing at my sore shoulders, I saw that he was already dressed. Well, as dressed as Gladio ever got.

“Come on, lazy bones. We haven’t trained in a few days. I’ll let you take your frustrations out on me,” he leaned closer and whispered, “Sexual or otherwise.”

“Why you—” my eyebrows furrowed in offense and he laughed to himself as he exited the camper.

I used the bathroom, brushing my teeth with one hand, roughly brushing my hair with the other. I tied my shoulder-length purplish hair into a ponytail so I would have no distractions before I headed outside.

The morning was cool but more rain clouds threatened to burst overhead. I joined Gladio in doing our morning stretches, but he still had a cocky smile on his face as if pleasing my mother had been a competition that he had won. I was still agitated and slighted that she had sided with him. After warming up our muscles, we found an area between the camper and the road for weapons practice. He summoned his shield while I called forth my new lance. I advanced on him hard, and he blocked, taking a step back, unprepared for the fury I still felt over being embarrassed yesterday. I advanced again, but rolled behind him, pushing him in the back with the tip of the lance. I got a hit on him, finally. He turned toward me, this time, his smile forced.

“Fight me,” I told him.

He summoned his great sword, his eyes never wavering from mine. “You really want to do this?”

I nodded, and he rushed toward me, but I watched his moves. With that big of a sword, his movements were slow, and I easily parried his attacks. After a couple of blocks though, I realized he was still going easy on me.

“I said fight me!” I yelled, my voice carrying over the quiet courtyard.

This time, Gladio came at me, the sword slashing through the air faster than I had ever seen, the weapon seemed a blur. I still blocked and parried, advanced, and within that frenzy, I realized perhaps he was right. There was a tension between us, and I imagined us kissing every time our weapons clashed. It nearly distracted me, but this time, I would not lose to him. As he wound up for a strong hit, I switched to my whip and lashed it around his ankles, pulling hard. Gladio fell, back first onto the hard ground, grunting with discomfort. With the lance summoned again, I straddled him, holding the weapon longways above his throat. “I win.”

He dispelled his weapon, and to my annoyance, found that he was grinning at me, a strange look in his eyes. “Our son is going to be the best goddamn Shield ever.”

My proud smile slipped away, as did my weapon, and I quickly backed away from him. I had forgotten that was one of the reasons why he said he loved me in Lestallum that night. He thought I would give him a strong, capable son to follow in his footsteps.

From my left, in front of the camper, Ignis set down his steaming cup of coffee to clap his hands. “Wonderful, Ahdenya. You’re improving.”

“Thanks, Iggy,” I began to approach him, leaving Gladio laying on the ground, but I heard my mother calling my name from the outpost. After last night, I didn’t want to speak with her either. With a heavy sigh, I approached the gift shop. The smell of breakfast cooking made my stomach rumble.

She clicked her tongue at me but kept her voice low. “Is that any way to treat your betrothed?”

“Mom, we’re not betrothed, or engaged, or anything. I said we’re complicated.”

“I know. I’m just glad to see you handling yourself out there. After that display, I don’t have to worry as much. But I don’t see why you’re fighting in the first place. Just marry one of them and settle down.”

I threw my head back in annoyance. “I’m not going to pressure Prompto into a marriage he might not even want, that he has no idea about right now. I care for him, Mom, but Noct has things he needs to do first, and I’m going to help them with that. I’m not giving Gladio an answer until I get an answer from Prompto. It’s only fair.”

“It’s not fair to Gladio. He loves you. I can see it.”

“If I don’t marry Prompto, I have to die for him.” I began to raise my voice, “Is that what you want, Mother? For me to die? For your precious Gladio to be a widower?”

“Of course not!” She sighed in defeat, “I see your point then. I won’t say anything else.”

“Thank you. Making a decision is hard enough as it is.”

She motioned toward the camper with a nod of her head. “Go on back and clean up. Breakfast is nearly ready.”

I nodded and headed back. Prompto stopped petting a Chocobo to meet me halfway.

“Will you tell me today?”

I sighed and was unable to hide the frustration in my voice, “Ya know, Prompto, it’s kinda hard to talk alone when you’re attached to Noct at the hip.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, is there a reason why you always sleep with him?”

Prompto blushed as he clarified, “Beside, not with. We’re into girls, if that’s what you’re getting at. But yes. There is a reason. Noct… he has bad dreams. He has since his mother died. I found that if he has a little pressure, a little human contact, he sleeps better. And when he sleeps better, I sleep better. So it works for us.”

“Okay,” I shrugged my shoulders indifferently, too annoyed to be sympathetic. “Then think about having Noct stay beside Ignis just for one night. He’s used to taking care of him. Then we can talk. You and me.”

He stammered, backing up a step, “Muh-muh-me? Be-beside you? What about Gladio?”

“What about me?” the Shield questioned, hearing his name and approaching us, intentionally looming over Prompto. His foot-tall advantage made him seem intimidating.

“Um, nothing,” Prompto ducked away just as my mother called us over for breakfast. He couldn’t run away fast enough.

Gladio stood beside me for a moment in silence. I think we were both feeling a bit tense, and I shook my head in exasperation before I asked him, “Gladio, what are we doing?”

“I don’t know. Ever since Ardyn mentioned jealousy,” he looked over at me, “All I see is red when someone else talks to you. Especially him. The thought of you—” he suddenly took me by the hand and began to drag me toward the camper.

“It’s breakfast,” Noctis reminded us, carrying a plate to a picnic bench.

Alright, I'll say it again, where are the proofreaders? There, their and they're! Get it right! I'll do it!

Chapter Thirteen: Reunion

I hadn’t noticed the light rain that was falling until I slipped on a slab of stone, and Gladio caught me by the elbow, steadying me. We walked slowly as he asked if I was okay, and I knew he meant that more deeply than the slip.

I shrugged my shoulders, “I will be, eventually.”

He nodded, his lip curled, lost in his thoughts. I suppose I should have asked him what was on his mind, but we entered the outskirts of the racetrack and caught up with Noct and Ignis. Prompto was already ahead of us, petting the birds. We met up with Wiz under the protection of a large umbrella.

Noctis set the left behemoth horn on the table as proof of completion. Wiz’s eyes grew large at the realization of what we had done, and he congratulated us, allowing us, and the rest of the community, access to ride the Chocobos here and at all of the rental stops across the region.

Wiz took hold of his suspenders and smiled as he looked in my direction. “I’m real proud of you, Deni, holding your own with them boys, and I’m sure your daddy’s smiling down on you.”

I couldn’t help but smile, choking back tears. I missed him so much, but he was with me today. “Thanks, Wiz. I think you’re right.”

“But there’s one more thing,” he turned and called over his shoulder, raising his voice, “Louisa! Visitor!”

My eyes grew wide at the name, and I followed Wiz’s glance. From the window of the gift shop, my mother peeked her head out. When she recognized me, she gasped, putting both hands to her mouth before rushing out the door. I ran over to the steps and she pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Oh, Deni, you came back!”

“I promised I would.”

She pulled away and looked me over, a sad smile still on her face. I probably looked like a disaster between the rain and the fight, but she simply reached up to move some hair from my face. “How long can you stay?”

“Just tonight, I think. We’ve got business to get to.”

My mother nodded, “I understand. Where are you staying?”

I gestured with my thumb to the camper, and Gladio approached us, wiping rain from his dark hair.

“Ma’am,” he began, and I felt a blush on my cheeks, afraid of what he would say, “I apologize for not introducing myself properly before. I am Gladiolus Amicitia, Gladio for short. Would it be possible—”

“And I, madam,” another voice interrupted from beside us, “Am Ignis Scientia. Apologies.”

My mother nodded, “No apologies are necessary, we were all concerned about other matters at the time. Look how late it’s getting, let me fix you all dinner. I’ll make Deni’s favorite, it won’t take but a few minutes.”

Ignis nodded, “It would be rude to refuse your offer, but allow me to help.”

“Nonsense. You boys took care of my girl as promised, so let me do this for you.”

There was no arguing that, so while Noct, Gladio and Ignis shopped and talked amongst themselves, I joined Prompto with the Chocobos as the rain began to let up.

I reached up to pet one as he gave me a welcoming smile. A few minutes silence passed before I began to speak, attempting to enhance our friendship with the only common ground I knew of. I patted the beak of one of the Chocobos. “This one’s Bobo, we raised him.”

“You can tell them apart? They’re all yellow, they’re all the same to me.”

I nodded, “Some of them, I know. See, he has a dark spot under his eye.” I leaned toward Prompto and lowered my voice confidentially. “You know, Wiz created a wash that dyes their feathers any color.”

“Really? Like, I could ride a blue Chocobo?”

“Sure. He’ll match your eyes.”

A blush formed on his cheeks and he looked away, reaching up to pet the next bird in line. “Hey, Deni,” his voice shook, “I’ve been meaning to ask… What’s going on between you and Gladio? Because I thought… well, you never really explained how we were bound. How can we be bound when you’re sleeping beside? With? Him?”

I gulped. My gaze fell to the ground as my hands hid in my pockets. “It’s complicated.”

“I may not be the smartest of the bunch, but don’t exclude me because you think it’s too complicated.”

I reached up, clutching the fence hard. “I don’t mean to, Prompto. I’m hesitant to tell you, not because you wouldn’t understand, but because… I don’t want to burden you.” I glanced up at him through my bangs. “What we are bound by, this Life Debt, it’s a heavy decision that I don’t believe you’re ready to make.”

“Tell me.” He turned to me, his brow a little furrowed, “As your friend, I have a right to know. What did you call it? Fate? Destiny? And yet I have a choice?”

“Deni!” my mother called out, interrupting our conversation, “Dinner!”

“Okay!” I shouted back, then turned to Prompto. “Okay. The next time we’re alone and have some time to really talk, I’ll tell you about the Scroll.”

“And about Gladio.”

I bit my lip. “Fine. And about Gladio.”

He smiled triumphantly and put his arm around my shoulder, urging me to follow. “Come on, let’s eat!”

I was not looking forward to that conversation, seeing as how I myself still had no idea what was going on with me and Gladio.

My mom and Ignis carried plates out to the dining area in front of the shop, and I was a little taken aback when Wiz joined us as well. Were my mother and Wiz living together? As the seven of us ate my favorite dinner of cheesy pasta and green beans, Ignis kept the conversation going while not delving too far into our true exploits and turning it away from relationships. As expected, everyone cleaned their plates except Noct, who refuses to eat any type of bean or anything green. Prompto finished it for him.

We talked until dark, when the birds went inside the shed for the night and stars began to appear. My mom took me aside and led me out back, where we sat on the damp rocks and looked out toward the Disc of Cauthess, which glowed a beautiful shade of blue at night.

“So tell me,” she began, “How’s it going with the Scroll?”

I shook my head, “I… haven’t told him.”

She nodded, “Maybe that’s best. Just come into it naturally. I couldn’t help but notice that the other one, Gladio, he kept looking at you.”

“Uh,” I kept my gaze on the Disc, “he and I are, um, complicated.”

“Has he kissed you?”

“Mom!”

We heard someone clearing their throat behind us, and we turned to see the aforementioned man. He took a few steps forward.

“Louisa, ma’am, I really need to speak with you.”

“Speak away, young man.”

I stood up, “Gladio, what—”

He stepped up to us, glancing around to be sure the three of us were alone. “I’ll make this quick. I know about the Scroll and I know what it means. I know she is… bound to someone else, but I don’t care. Sometimes, a person can’t help how they feel, no matter the circumstances. And I love your daughter, Ms. Louisa. I love Deni. I’ve told her. And,” Gladio got down on one knee, “I’ve already asked her to consider marrying me instead of him. I came here to ask your blessing.”

I hid my face from her, shielding my eyes with both hands. I didn’t want to see her expression, if she was surprised or disappointed, or angry that I wasn’t completely honest.

My mother took a moment to respond, but when she did, her voice was even. “And what did my daughter say when you asked her?”

Gladio glanced up at me, his eyes hard and accusing. It felt like he was tattling on me, that I was the villain for not immediately giving in to his wishes. “She didn’t respond. She never says she loves me back. But that’s okay. I’ll give her time. I don’t know if she could ever be happy with him, but I want to give her a chance to be happy with me. I’ll keep her safe, and try to give her everything she’s ever wanted.”

I felt my mother’s eyes on me, but I didn’t look in her direction. After a moment, she said confidently, “Yes, Gladiolus Amicitia, Shield of the King, you have my blessing. Maybe someday my daughter will respond to you as well.”

He got to his feet and bowed, “Thank you.” He glanced at me, then wordlessly turned to walk away.

A few moments of awkward silence passed before she said my name and reached out for my arm.

“Goodnight, Mom.” I jogged away, cutting my precious time with her short, passing Gladio, heading for the camper. I didn’t want to hear any more stories or talk to anyone else. I headed for the pull-out bed and curled up in the blankets, tossing them over my head. I fell into a fitful sleep. I heard the guys enter a couple of hours later, after they finished their game of King’s Knight. Noct and Prompto climbed into the bed above me, Ignis started down the hall, and Gladio sat on the edge of my bed. He waited for everyone to quiet before he reached over, clasping my leg.

“Deni, come on, you shouldn’t be mad.”

Like a child, I put the pillow over my head to ignore him. I was still angry and embarrassed at how he deliberately went over my head to persuade my mother like that.

“Woah,” Prompto exclaimed, “What’d you do to get in the doghouse?”

“Mind your damned business,” Gladio growled, taking the hint that he was not sharing this sleeping space with me. “You can’t possibly be angry because I wanted her to know, are you?” When I didn’t respond, he got up to join Ignis in the main bedroom.

Chapter Twelve, Part One (of one)

Chapter Twelve: Deadeye

We were only a mile or so into our hunt when we saw entire trees topple in the distance, a surefire clue we were on the right trail. I was unprepared when Ignis closed the distance between us by stopping directly in front of me, his gloved hand on my shoulder. He leaned forward, not exactly whispering, but his voice was quiet.

“You don’t need to do this. We can handle it.”

His concern was endearing, and I couldn’t help but smile despite my nerves. I placed my hand on his and squeezed. “Thanks, Iggy. But I think I need to do this. For both my father and myself.”

He nodded in understanding and we continued forward. Noctis and Gladio led the way through twisting turns and crashing trees, sometimes meeting with small packs of Voretooths along the way. Although I have fought much more formidable foes, those Voretooths always put fear in my heart. I recall my shredded leg and the despair I felt, and I got distracted. Prompto nudged me forward and I drew in a cleansing breath, pulling up the rear. Eventually, Noct found a tunnel made of mostly rusted corrugated sheet metal remnants, and the idea was to crawl through to the other side. I wondered if this was something the Hunters came up with as a way to sneak past the behemoth. Gladio motioned for us to stay behind him as he went to explore the tunnel first, followed by Noct. Quietly, the five of us crawled on our hands and knees, trying not to make any sound that would attract Deadeye, but its hearing was keen. When it approached the tunnel, we remained as still as we humanly could, but there happened to be a gap where the metal between Noct and Gladio didn’t completely cover them. Gladio held up his hand, warning us not to move. As that giant behemoth of a creature loomed over us, smelling for us, knowing we were there but unable to reach us, my heart pounded so hard, I felt it in my brain. The beast shoved its muzzle into the hole and roared, spittle flying, the sound reverberating over the metal. My whole body trembled in fear and I closed my eyes, my hands covering my ears, trying not to imagine this was what my father last saw before he died: those massive purple jaws and flesh-ripping teeth, but I knew it was. Both Prompto and Ignis put their arms around me, crouching over me, holding me still until the roar finished echoing in our ears and the behemoth stomped away. Gladio motioned us forward and we continued through the tunnel.

As we exited, Gladio observed, “It’s weak on the right, no eye, no horn.”

Around us, a thick fog grew, obstructing our vision beyond forty feet or so. We trudged forward, following fallen trees to mark Deadeye’s trail. As Noct ducked under branches and started to run into the next field, Gladio grabbed his arm, holding him back as Ignis caught up.

The advisor whispered, “Best not to run into this blindly, Noct.”

Gladio didn’t exactly whisper, but he was quiet as he pointed, “It’s right there, ahead. See the tail? We should trail it—”

Ignis continued, “Let it lead us to it’s lair, where it will be vulnerable.”

Noctis nodded and crouched down behind a large rock, ready to lead the way. Prompto and I followed next, catching glimpses of the behemoth’s spiked club tail as it lumbered along, unaware we were stalking it. Honestly, I was so absorbed in staying hidden while keeping the beast in sight, I lost track of our location. I had no idea where in the forest we were until we reached our destination. Deadeye’s lair was the quarry that had shut down a year or two ago due to his presence. We shimmied our way between rocks and started down into the quarry, yet Ignis took me and Noct aside.

For once, he appeared nervous, his eyes darting from Noct to me. “Ardenia, you’re positive you’re ready to fight?”

My heart was in my throat, my palms beginning to sweat, but I had come this far, and I knew I wasn’t fighting alone. “Yes. I need to do this.”

With a nod, Ignis turned to the prince. “In that case, Noct, do you have that lance, the one Cid just upgraded? Would you mind too terribly if Ardenia used it?”

Both my and Noctis’s eyes widened in reaction to Ignis’s request, but ultimately, Noct summoned the specified weapon and held it out to me. “Nah, I don’t mind.”

I took the lance in both hands, “Are you guys sure about this?”

Ignis nodded impatiently, “Yes. I have my daggers, and Noct has a spare lance as well. Or would you rather battle with a stick?”

I smiled in thanks and took a step back, twirling my new weapon in my hands to get a feel for it. “No, thank you for your foresight, Ignis, and thank you, Noct.”

The prince nodded, “Let’s put this behind us.”

Gladio called out from below, “Come on! I’m itching to kill this thing!”

Ignis, Noct and I jogged forward, down the gravelly slope and into the beast’s lair. Our trek through the rocks gave us a moment to survey our surroundings, in which we noticed several flammable barrels scattered along the U-shaped pit. From above, there was a loud roar, and Deadeye came into view. It leapt from one of the outcroppings above, nearly landing on Gladio, but he rolled away.

“Use the barrels!” Ignis shouted, “Set it on fire!”

Noctis aimed his elemental energy at the first barrel, but it missed. The behemoth immediately turned its attention to Noct, leaping at him, knocking him to the ground. At that moment, something snapped inside of me, and I knew no fear. Seeing Noct vulnerable made me angry; knowing this beast had killed someone I loved made me vengeful. I summoned the new lance into my hands and rushed to Noct, standing over him as he struggled to his feet. Deadeye roared again, and I screamed back before bringing my lance up under it’s jaw. We had surrounded it, with me in the front, Prompto to my right, riddling the creature with bullets. Ignis and Gladio were in it’s blind spot on the right, throwing flame daggers, taking giant slashes at it with a massive great sword, respectively. Noct seemed to fly in from multiple directions, piercing it with his short sword every time. Deadeye rushed toward Noct whenever he appeared to his left, Deadeye’s good eye, and the Prince fired more energy into the next barrel. An explosion erupted just under Deadeye, setting the beast aflame and knocking the rest of us back with a wave of heat. We managed to get to our feet, continuing the assault, despite Gladio and Prompto both being knocked aside with its clawed paws once or twice. Noct hit another barrel and Deadeye began to stumble. It’s hide was torn to shreds from Gladio and most of it’s fur had burned away, revealing thick muscle underneath. As Noct and Gladio worked together for a devastating hit, I ran up and Prompto caught my foot, lifting me into the air and onto the beast’s back. Between the five of us, we hit it at the same time, and it fell over onto it’s side, letting out a final grunt, and as I hopped down from the body, it was no longer breathing.

While Noct cheered and gave Prompto and Gladio high-fives, I stood in front of it in shock. I gave a little kick to it’s muzzle, and the tongue lolled out, unmoving. It was over. My father was avenged. I took a couple steps back before sitting in the middle of the gravel, my knees against my chest, and I began to silently weep. I was suddenly so tired, I couldn’t move. I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder, and I looked up, expecting Gladio, but no one was there. I smiled to myself, knowing it was my father congratulating me. I could just hear him say, “Good job, kiddo,” before the others walked over to check on me. I wiped at my eyes as Noctis and Ignis patted me on the shoulders. Prompto extended his hand and pulled me to my feet, then into his loose embrace. Slowly, I reached up and hugged him back.

“I know this means a lot to you,” he said, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if he meant Deadeye or the embrace. “But you’re strong. You’ll be okay with anything now.”

I nodded and he let me go. Another tear fell down my cheek as I smiled at him. Prompto Argentum was just too sweet. He smiled awkwardly before following Noct and Ignis as they searched the area for loot, apparently only finding a broken harmonica. Prompto attempted to play it for several excruciating minutes before Ignis stole it from his hands and threw it as hard as he could out of sight.

Gladio rattled me by the shoulders a little roughly. “That was amazing! When you roared back at that thing—” he shook his head and lowered his voice, “I never wanted anyone so badly in my life. I know that I made the right decision in asking you to—” he gulped, unsure whether to bring up the topic now, “to be with me forever.” While his friends were out of sight, he took my face in his hands and kissed me. “I’m proud of you.”

note: mild language/trauma

Chapter Eleven, Part Two

The ground below Noctis gave way and he fell, sliding down the smooth embankment. I watched with horror and a bit of pride as Gladio went after him, as was his duty. Just in front of them, the Titan rose.

The Titan, one of the Six Gods of this world, the Star of Eos, was also one of its greatest saviors. As I said, when the Meteor was about to crash onto our Star, large enough to cause worldwide destruction, the Titan caught it on his back, holding it aloft to this day. The impact still left this crater, the Disc of Cauthess, and in places, the Meteor still burned and lava flowed at the Titan’s feet. Weary with exertion over his accomplishment, the Titan slept, the Meteor still resting on his shoulders, until he could regain his strength and do with it as he saw fit, whether that be set the Meteor down or hurl it back into space. But now, his gaze was set upon Noctis. One eye was, anyway; there was a shard of the meteor through his right eye.

From above, watching Noctis and Gladio disappear from view, I clung tightly to each of the remaining boys shoulders.

“Noct, you okay?” Prompto sounded scared.

Ignis, as usual, was more level-headed. “Is there any way back up?”

“No,” came Noct’s voice, and we each breathed a sigh of relief to hear him, “you guys just look for a safer way down.”

The three of us broke into a sweat as we made our way down turning paths, with pockets of rock which fumed heat and sometimes molten rock. It was an arduous process, and our breathing was labored, both by the workout and the excruciating heat. We met Noctis at the bottom just as he was dodging the Titan’s sweeping left hand, which was twice as large as Noct’s entire body. My heart leapt into my throat, noticing Noct fought alone.

“Where’s Gladio?” I shouted.

“On his way,” His Highness assured me, slicing at the Titan’s stony hand as it made to knock him over again.

We were also quite surprised when several Magitek Engines appeared above us, distracting the Titan and allowing us to fight. It wasn’t until Ignis ordered me to take aim at the Magitek soldiers that I realized what the Empire was really trying to accomplish: to take down the Titan themselves. With my whip, I knocked away pull lines they tried to hook into him while Noct and the others continued their fight. When the Titan fell forward and the fight appeared over, the Archaean revealed to the prince that his betrothed, the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, had begun to convene with the Gods. This meant she was asking for their blessing in supporting Noctis as the Chosen King. This fight was simply to prove Noct’s worth, and with the Titan’s support, he was one step closer to his title. At this point, the Titan had had enough of these Imperial Warships buzzing around his head. He smashed what ships he could reach, causing an earthquake which tore another hole in the earth. Lava began to pool around us, leaving us scrambling for higher ground as the earth under our feet melted.

And to our perturbation, one more ship appeared, with Ardyn bestowing his ‘kindness.’ We were loathe to trust this man, but this time, Ardyn properly introduced himself as Ardyn Izunia. The name meant nothing to me, but Ignis questioned, “Imperial Chancellor Izunia?”

“The same. Come aboard, I guarantee safe passage. Or die in the rubble. It’s all the same to me.”

Ignis made a fair point, saying how we couldn’t die here, we had no other option. And so we were brought aboard the Imperial Warship. We were rescued by the same man who may or may not have had a hand in the attack on Insomnia that ultimately killed Noctis and Gladio’s fathers.

We sat on the floor of the Imperial machine, quietly discussing our options for when we landed. Where was he even going to let us out? It turned out, not too far from my home in the forest of Duscae. But we had a bigger problem- the Regalia was missing. The Empire had clearly ‘taken it for safe keeping’ during the Titan fight, but it was not returned to a specified location.

Under the authority of the High Commander, the Imperial War Strategist, most of the road blockades had returned ‘for public safety.’ Ignis suspected it was a tactic to keep us under surveillance, or at least keep us locked down to this region. In the meantime, Noctis had called Cindy, asking her to keep an ear out for the car, and of course, to my annoyance, Prompto was bouncing over his shoulder just to hear her voice.

Without the car, I made a suggestion. “If we kill Deadeye, we could start using Chocobos to travel.”

“Oh dude!” Prompto grabbed onto my shoulders and kicked his feet in the air, “I do love the way you think!”

“I suppose you do make a convincing argument,” Ignis acknowledged, his gloved fist on his chin.

We walked up the winding road toward Wiz’s Chocobo Races, a road I knew by heart, and although I was excited to see Wiz, my pace slowed. Gladio put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close.

“Worried about your mom?” he asked.

Chapter Eleven, Part One

note: mild language

Chapter Eleven: Ardyn & Titan

We traveled back to Lestallum in the morning to inform Talcott that his information was invaluable. However, as we reached the hotel, another headache sent Noct to his knees. Ignis had him lie down on the sofa in the hotel foyer while Gladio checked in with Iris, and the four of them stayed behind to talk out the next plan while I wandered outside, heading for the outlook.

Seeing the Disc of Cauthess from this angle was amazing. It was like lightning had struck the earth, sending rocks jutting sky-high, then flash-freezing them into thin pillars that glowed with crystalline energy. It was beautiful and terrifying at once. I stepped toward the scope for a closer view, nodding politely to the man who had just finished using it. He tipped his hat to me and took a step away, only to turn back to me, his eyes wide in either surprise or confusion.

“Excuse me, my dear,” he began, taking his hat off and placing it over his chest, “May I again gaze upon your visage?”

Uncomfortably, I obliged, seeing no harm in simply looking at someone, and I in turn scrutinized him.

This man appeared to be in his late forties, and was dressed very strangely. He wore a long, black leather trench coat and thick boots, though neither had the Crownsguard symbol. He wore an ascot with a dark floral motif. His shirt had a high-collared frill with another red scarf around that. I had never seen anyone dressed so flamboyantly, especially in a place as warm as Lestallum. Another thing that was strange was this man had my exact eye color, a crisp olive green with hints of hazel when in the light, and my same exact hair color, so auburn that it was almost magenta in the sun.

“In all my years,” he said, his raspy voice tinged with wonder, “I’d never seen another—” He smiled, and though he meant it to be sincere, I found it sort of creepy, “Forgive me, my dear, you must think me an awful lout. I was reminiscing, you see. You have her eyes. My mother’s. It’s been so long, so very long since—” he lowered his gaze and cut his words short. “I should like to know more about you. Where are you from?” The man extended one arm in an attempt to put it around my shoulder, but I backed away, slamming my elbow into the scope.

“Ey!” a voice called gruffly, and I was relieved to see Gladio appear behind the man’s shoulder. “This guy bothering you, Den?”

I opened my mouth, not knowing how to answer as I began to rub feeling back into my arm, but as the older man turned to face Gladio, each of them had different reactions to being recognized.

“You’re that guy—” Gladio began and immediately took a protective step toward Noct, who was just joining us. Still feeling uneasy, I placed myself behind Ignis, holding onto the crook of his arm a little tighter than I should have. He didn’t seem to mind, as his focus was on this stranger.

The older man’s demeanor completely changed upon recognizing the group, his tone light. “What a coincidence.”

Gladio nearly snarled, “I’m not so sure it is.”

“A curious thing, nursery rhymes,” the man began, unphased, turning toward Noct as he spoke.

I whispered to Ignis, “You’ve met him before?”

“Yes,” he kept his voice low, answering me while still listening to the man, never taking his eyes from him, “In Galdin Quay, just before… before the King fell.”

I began to understand Gladio’s sentiment. This appeared too convenient for a coincidence, and this man, while seemingly polite to me, was not one to be trusted. Engrossed in my thoughts, I lost track of their conversation, but it appeared we were suddenly accompanying him to the Archaean, the Titan in the Disc. It was surreal. Noctis needed to speak directly with one of the Six Gods of our world in order for his headaches to cease.

The man introduced himself as Ardyn, and my throat clenched. Surely his name being so close to mine was another coincidence- Ardyn and Ardenia, and Ignis glanced at me, also taking notice of the similarity and gauging my reaction. I was dumbfounded. Who was this man, and why was he helping us? We followed him to his car, a red and white Vixen convertible, where we split into two groups. Noctis drove the guys in the Regalia while I was given to Ardyn.

I sat in the back seat, not wanting to be too close to this stranger as he pulled his car onto the highway, leading the way for Noct.

“I never got your name, my dear.”

“It’s Ardenia.”

He swerved slightly, just as surprised as I was. “You don’t say. Well, this world is full of wonders, is it not?” He smiled over his shoulder and continued, “Tell me, my dear Ardenia, have you done much fighting alongside these boys?”

I was wary; it was an odd question. “I’ve done my share.”

“Have you yet encountered a monster, or a person, perhaps, which upon death or near death, emits a purple substance, a starry, lavender miasma?” His mouth turned in a half-grin, and I wasn’t sure whether to enjoy the way the worded death so beautifully or terrified that he knew something like that could happen. I answered with hesitation, yet truthfully, “Once.”

“Well, if it happens again, stretch your hand toward it. Be not afraid. When next we meet, tell me of your experience.”

I was silent, unsure of what to make of this ominous-sounding advice. Why was he so confident that we would meet again? I glanced over my shoulder to be sure that Noctis was keeping up in the Regalia.

Ardyn glanced at me from the rear-view mirror. “Someone you can’t take your eyes from?”

Heat rose in my cheeks. “Something like that. I’m… bound to one of them through old magic.”

He continued to grin, “Ah, but that’s not the one you were eyeing.”

My silence was his confirmation.

“Be that as it may, I don’t care much for Destiny or the Will of the Gods these days. Some advice from an old man, my dear Ardenia,” the grin dropped and his eyes darkened, “Do what you need to ensure your own happiness. People are fickle, resentful beings. Don’t try to please anyone but yourself.”

I nodded, but was that really sound advice?

Ardyn pulled us over to a gas station near Cauthess to spend the night. Although it was only mid-afternoon, even he didn’t want to be caught on the road at night. We spent an awkward evening sitting outside the RV, listening to Ardyn's ramblings of tales of old. Now with six of us trying to sleep in this camper, there was little debate as to who had to share a sleeping space with Ardyn, and that was Ignis. Noct and Prompto had already hidden away. Gladio took the pullout bed underneath. I squished into the dining seat, and Ignis closed the curtain behind him. When all we heard were soft snores, Gladio motioned me over, and I hesitated before I headed into his waiting arms.

He held me tight as we lay on our sides, facing each other. He began to whisper, “I hope you’re not mad at me for skipping out on you the other night. We haven’t had a good opportunity to talk until now.”

“No, I wasn’t mad. A little lonely. But we knew what we were getting into, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t… disappoint you, did I?”

“No,” I shifted to look up at him, and he sat up on one elbow, propping his head. I began to blush in the dark as I admitted, “It was incredible. I just… keep replaying it in my mind.”

“I do too,” he leaned over and kissed me for a long time, and I assumed that because he was continuing this affection, we were a couple. Was that how it worked? Yet when I stopped his hand from moving anywhere than my waist, he mentioned we should probably sleep. There was no telling what we were in store for tomorrow.

Like any other old man, Ardyn was up at the crack of dawn, waiting for all of us at the table where I was supposed to be sleeping.

With his arm still around me, I felt Gladio jolt as Noctis slapped at his leg.

“Let’s go, loverboy.”

“Very funny.”

As Noct, Prompto and Ignis exited, Ardyn grinned at the two of us as Gladio sat up.

“Oh, how very wonderful to have a romance blossoming in our very midst.”

Gladio grumbled, “It’s no concern of yours.”

Ardyn spread his hands pleadingly. “But I only wish the young lady good will. She is obviously burdened with other difficulties, and you, oh, Shield of the King, are an insufferable fool for encumbering her poor heart.”

Gladio got to his feet, pointing angrily, “Shut your mouth, old man. We have an understanding, you don’t know anything—”

Ardyn seemed indifferent to Gladio’s threat and ridiculed, “Oh, please, do enlighten me to this understanding. Whatever will you do when those first throes of jealousy hit?”

Gladio stormed out, and I went to grab his hand, but he slapped it back at me. I don’t know why, but Ardyn seemed to be mocking Gladio while protecting me. And how did he know Gladio was a Shield? Who was this man, really?

Despite the awkwardness, we filled up the gas tanks and were back on the road by eight. The next stop: the Disc of Cauthess. Just shy of three hours later, we arrived at the gate, which for some reason was under Imperial control, fully barricaded and lined with Magitek soldiers.

Ardyn drove up to the gate and raised his voice to a sing-song shout, “Yoo-hoo, it’s me! Be so kind as to open the door?”

The cast-iron gates pulled aside with no hesitation, and I could hear Prompto in the car behind us exclaim, “Woah, that worked?”

That was where we parted ways with Ardyn. We still had no idea why or how he was helping us enter enemy territory unimpeded, but it allowed Noctis to continue his mission. I returned to my seat in the Regalia, and we drove for as long as we could, down winding stone and dirt paths. For miles, we were on a downward slant heading into the crater, before we found a crevasse too small for the car to fit through. We continued on foot.

“These ruins...” Ignis began, adjusting his glasses in wonderment.

To me, these ruins looked like some sort of stone ribcage of a gargantuan beast that was weather-worn and broken away in chunks over time. We rounded a corner, pausing when our eyes met an unexpected sight.

“Is that what I think it is?” Prompto questioned.

“Never expected to find a Royal Tomb here.”

Noctis nodded, “Let’s grab it and go,” He ran forward, calling forth another of the Royal Arms, and as soon as it was in his hands, another earthquake knocked us all to our feet, all but Noct, who was already bent over in pain.

Chapter Ten, Part Two

note: mild violence/action, sexual themes (no smut this time)

We headed west, to Callatein’s Plunge. The landscape reminded me of home, but much more studded with rocks and boulders than trees and brush, as we seemed to be gaining elevation. In the distance, we saw the looming Rock of Ravatoh, the terrifying-looking volcano, which had been dormant for as long as anyone could remember. I hoped getting closer to it was not part of our journey. We passed through another tunnel, this one surrounding us with brick and concrete, dimly lit. In fact, it was getting late in the afternoon and Noctis and Prompto seemed ready for a nap. Gladio had been reading his book with one hand, the other idly twirling my odd-colored hair. Ignis was silent and uncharacteristically sulky. He didn’t even ask Gladio for his favorite coffee from the cooler by my feet.

We were nearly through the tunnel when we spotted what Noct referred to as ‘hobgoblins’ ahead. The Regalia came to a sudden halt and the four jumped out to fight. Noctis ran ahead first, calling his short sword into his hand, Gladio on his heels for backup. It hadn’t occurred to me until then, but this was my first time fighting daemons. Ignis usually had us in town or at a campsite by nightfall, avoiding all night creatures. I suppose now that I had use of the Kingsglaive, I would be required to use it. I wondered what we would have to fight once we entered these tombs. Definitely beasts and daemons more terrifying than Voretooths and Garula. I shuddered to think what evils we would encounter, but I summoned my whip and jogged beside Prompto to fight. It was over within seconds; I hardly got to get a hit in, these guys performed so well together. Yet I was in awe, watching these daemons die. Their bodies vanished into the air with a spark of purple and yellow ash, and I shuddered, almost feeling like it was crawling on me. Climbing back into the car before more could manifest, we continued onward, emerging from the tunnel unscathed and into beautiful territory.

There was a river rushing below us, and both Noct and I leaned over the door, knowing there to be excellent fishing down there. The rocks and rushing water meant lots of salmon and trout. He begged Ignis to stop, but his advisor was already cranky that most of the day had passed already, and his dissatisfaction of Gladio’s behavior was clear. Heading left, further down the road, we stopped to refuel as dark clouds rolled in, bringing rain.

It was the first I could recall since I’d met the group, and while they shopped for supplies, I stood out in the open, enjoying the cool, refreshing droplets after being in the heat of Lestallum. Being out in the wild was much more relaxing to me than being cooped in the apparent safety and convenience of the city. The sun was setting and we considered sleeping in the camper beside the gas pumps, but we were so close to our destination that Noct was willing to forego a night’s sleep to get there. Yet for once, Gladio opted to get out of the rain, and Prompto seconded the notion. The RV was slightly smaller than the one in Hammerhead, yet we all crammed into the kitchen. The stove was broken, so we had some drinks for dinner and looked over the pictures Prompto took that day. There was one of Noct and Iris standing in front of the Leville. I blushed when Gladio lauded the place, and I felt slightly queasy as bedtime approached. Again, Noct and Prompto chose the small upper bunk, and I sat on the foldout bed underneath.

Ignis approached me while Gladio was in the bathroom. He kept his voice low. “You owe me fifty Gil.”

“For what?”

He tossed me a potion and tried not to sneer, “Get rid of that thing on your neck. It’s distracting.”

I immediately lowered my eyes and I uncorked the bottle, chugging the contents, avoiding his judging gaze. I wanted to crawl into a ball and hide under the covers, I was so embarrassed and humiliated. I kept my head down just so my hair would fall over my eyes, so I wouldn’t have to look Ignis in the face. I couldn’t even find my voice to apologize.

Ignis set his hands on his slim hips, “I knew that bastard was up to something, sneaking in last night, fresh from your shower, it seems.” I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, only to see him shake his head. “I’m disappointed to say the least, Ardenia. I expected better from you. I thought we had an understanding, that you were not to instigate a relationship with him.” For a moment, I wasn’t sure if his bottom lip quivered at all, but he turned his face away so I wouldn’t take notice of the pained expression. His voice was a little harsher than usual: “Since you aren’t following my advice, could you at least be a little more discreet about it?”

I lowered my eyes in shame, “I thought we were. I mean, it just happened, I didn’t plan for it. I don’t even know if there will be a next time.”

“Did you at least use protection?”

I opened my mouth to defend myself, but apparently Gladio had exited in time to hear the question.

“Dammit, Ignis,” he roughly pushed the advisor from me by the shoulder, “What are you, my goddamn father?”

Despite the shove, Ignis stood his ground. “No, but since he is dead, I suppose someone has to—”

Gladio advanced on him, taking Ignis by the front of his jacket, “My father died honorably, defending Regis until his last breath! Cor told me! So don’t you dare—”

“This isn’t about your father,” Ignis pushed Gladio’s hands away, his temper flaring, “This is about your libido and how you care nothing for the feelings of others.”

I had heard enough. I pushed both men out of my way as I rushed to the door. “I’ll sleep in the car.”

Though Gladio said my name gently and reached a hand out to stop me, I walked out. Perhaps I should have stayed, just to hear how the two would settle this situation, but I don’t know how I wanted it to play out. I didn’t even know if because Gladio mentioned marriage, that he thought we were a couple already. Were we? Just because he had literally left his mark on me, were we together? And what did Ignis care? Why was he so upset about it? It was my responsibility to disclose this to Prompto, if I ever decided to. I laid down in the backseat, one fist on my forehead. Maybe I made a huge mistake last night, if I was feeling this guilty about it. Because of a dare, I lost my virginity to Gladio, but he said he loved me. So why did seeing the dejected expression on Ignis’s face all day make me feel like a complete tramp? Listening to the rain hit the roof, I hoped it was loud enough to block the constant doubts in my head.

By morning, the rain had stopped and the air was cool. With no notion of what happened last night or any indication that he cared whether I joined them or not, Noct began to lead the way toward the waterfall. Gladio knocked on the car window to wake me, and I hurried to catch up. Whatever Ignis and Gladio had spoken of to clear matters up, they either found common ground or hid their emotions well. I imagine it was the latter. As we headed down an overgrown path toward the river, I stopped in my tracks in terror. Blocking our route was the largest snake I had ever seen. It wasn’t just long, it had a thick, broad neck like a cobra. The beast was black and perhaps thirty feet high, three feet wide. It was way out of our element, but Noct was confident we could bring it down. We advanced on it, trying to stay behind its head, but it was fast, and we found out after taking a few hits, poisonous. After several health potions and poison antidotes were used on each of us, we were able to push through. It was really thanks to Ignis’s instructions to freeze it that gave us an advantage. After that harrowing fight, I felt brave enough to take on the giant four-foot crabs which next blocked our route. After making quick work of them, the five of us followed the path around and made it to the backside of the waterfall. The entrance was a slight opening in the rocks leading into a cold, ice-covered cavern. Prompto suggested fearfully, hopefully, that the cold would ward off daemons, and Gladio sarcastically suggested that, of course, monsters only liked the warmth. But Prompto was right; I was already chilly and wished I had something warmer on my arms. We had left our extra clothing in our bags in the Regalia, and it was too late to turn back. We needed to continue forward.

Being that most of the monsters we encountered upon arriving in this upper cavern were Imps or Flan, I opted for my bo. The worst part about this cavern wasn’t the fact that we slid down chutes twice, or that we had to fight Mindflayers when we reached the door to the tomb. It was Ignis and Gladio’s horrible puns. What makes the fact funnier is that I never would have guessed that was Ignis’s humor.

Since joining this group, this was my first time witnessing Noctis gaining his Royal Arms. The weapons he can manifest were once the weapons of his forefathers, granting him extra abilities, and only one of the Lucis bloodline could summon them. Raising his hand above the sarcophagus, the weapon of light lifted, turned mid-air, and stabbed him through the chest. I gasped, ready to rush forward, but Ignis held his hand up, halting me. Noctis was unharmed and claimed that he could now use what he called the Armiger. I had no idea what it did, but it sounded menacing.

The trek back to the entrance went more quickly, although the sun was ready to set on us again. We had only started up the hill toward the Regalia when Noctis staggered again, his hands clasping his temples, complaining of his unnatural headache. Yet this time, he said he had a vision. A burning hole in the ground. Ignis suggested it may be the Meteor site, the Disc of Cauthess.

I had heard stories from my father’s Hunter friends of that place. Hundreds of years ago, long after the War of the Gods, a meteor, massive enough to destroy Eos, entered our atmosphere. The Titan, the Archaean, the God of Earth, caught it but the force of the impact left a crater deep enough to allow lava to seep through, and the shards of the Meteor that had broken off were now mined to supply the power plant. I don’t know how much of that is true, but I suppose I would soon find out. They decided the Disc would be our next destination, just to see if we could put an end to the prince’s headaches. As the sun set, we spent one more night in the camper, and I slept alone on the pullout couch. That seemed to be our new sleeping arrangements when not camping. It made me wonder if I would be sleeping next to Gladio when we made camp again. I wondered if that was even a good idea.

Restlessly, I sat up and looked in his direction, down the hall, only to find that he was looking for me.

“Night, Deni,” he whispered, “I love you.”

We both heard a snort, and apparently not everyone was asleep yet. “I love you, Deni,” Noctis, then Prompto repeated in a mock tone. Ignis shook his head, not participating.

Despite my embarrassment, I smiled, “I love you guys, too.”

Maybe that’s it, I thought as I laid down to sleep. I can’t decide because I do love something about all of them. I was in love with all four of them in some fashion. Once I accepted that, and they seemed amiable toward me, maybe the worst was over between us all.

note: mild language/ sexual themes/acts Minors DNI 18+

Chapter Ten, Part One

Chapter Ten: Ready or Not

This was it. No turning back. No stopping him. No thinking about what would happen in the morning. His hands were trembling as he reached for my waist, pulling me closer. He seemed hesitant to kiss me, as if I’d push him away at the last second, telling him that I was joking about the dare. I wasn’t, and I put both arms around his wide shoulders, pulling him down to me. Our lips met awkwardly, unsure of how far we would take this challenge, but after a moment, Gladio seemed to gain confidence. Gone were the peck-kisses I’d received all my life, tight-lipped and dry. He urged my mouth open with his tongue and when they touched, my body was filled with a warmth, an intense urgency to pull him toward me. I wanted every inch of him to be as close to me as possible. Warily, breathing heavily, his hands moved up from my waist, his thumbs cautiously rubbing the sides of my breasts. In response, I tugged at his jacket. He pulled away long enough to slide it off both arms, tossing it behind him, carelessly onto the floor. He unbuckled his belt and the button on his pants before taking my face in his hands, kissing me hungrily. He worked down from there, his hands now confident to squeeze and caress my breasts through my bathrobe, his mouth kissing and nibbling at my throat. It was then that I felt the wall against my back, the pressure of his body against mine, and for a moment, there was only the two of us in this world. The Star could be burning all around us, but none of that mattered. A gasp of both excitement and surprise escaped me as his hands lowered, grabbing my bare ass cheeks underneath my short bathrobe, and he tried to muffle a groan of pleasure as he ducked his head into my chest, beginning to suckle at me. My knees were quaking as he fondled my body, my fingers clenched onto his shoulders. Once, I went to untie my robe, but he stopped just long enough to whisper, “Don’t, I like it like this.” Honestly, I did as well. I could just cradle his head in my elbow and leave him there suckling all night.

But his hands moved and I distinctly heard a zipper; his leather pants dropped to the floor. He stood before me in nothing but a pair of black boxer-briefs. He picked me up by the hips with no effort, something no one had been able to do before, placing me beside the bed. He kissed me once more, distracting me while he took one of my hands, lowering it between his legs. “See what you do to me, every time I look at you.” I started to pull my hand away in fear of the unknown, but he held fast to my wrist. Gently, he raised my arm, placing my hand on his chest, just over the bird’s face, over his heart. It beat rapidly, excitedly, and our eyes met. He was feeling the same fear I was, the same exhilaration, the same lust and hoping it was really love. This is what he was ready for. What I hoped I was ready for. Slowly, still trembling myself, he guided my hand downward, and we both drew in a sharp breath as my hand cradled his heavy testicles through his underwear. He moaned again, pressing his face to my shoulder, kissing my neck to muffle the noise. I began to investigate the long shaft of his member, and it was nothing like I had imagined. I had seen mating Chocobos, and their shafts were like corkscrews, like ducks and geese, and were hidden by feathers and retractable. I see now that a man’s isn’t. It’s just there, hanging in the wide open. Gladio tugged at my bathrobe belt with one hand while removing his underwear with the other, kicking them aside. Now, in the flesh, it felt like soft wood in my hand, a mushroom cap on the end, slightly wet. I ran my fingers over it, wondering how something nearly as thick as my wrist could insert into a human being. He gasped again, clutching me tightly as he stiffened even further in my hand. We were both breathing hard, our hearts pounding in unison, but I lost all comprehension when he slid a finger into the damp hole between my legs. I gasped loudly, my body tensed, and he backed away, concerned.

“I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”

My mouth was still slack as I shook my head, “No, I’m… I’m fine. Do it again.”

He did, carefully, and put my hand over his cock, stroking both together, feeling for the right rhythm. When he pulled away, his forehead beaded with sweat, he pleaded, “Please, Deni, let me inside you. I feel like I’m about to explode or go crazy if I can’t have you all to myself right now.”

I understood, as I felt the same. Wordlessly, I backed onto the bed, taking off my robe and dropping it over the side. Gladio straddled me much like he had done this afternoon when he knocked me out, and after a few minutes of fevered kissing, he backed away. He held onto my hips as he eased his way into my body. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, and after a few minutes, it was quite enjoyable. My mind was occupied with the sensation, with the vision of his naked body looming over mine. I think he muttered something about me being beautiful, but I was on another world. After a few minutes, Gladio moaned again, pumping at me faster before wetting my legs and stomach with his hot liquid.

“Sorry,” he apologized breathlessly, laying down beside me on the small bed. “Can’t have you getting pregnant just yet. I couldn’t stand it if I lost both of you.”

I sighed, not wanting to remember what we had talked about earlier. Truth be told, I had forgotten about Prompto for a moment, but reality came crashing back, dissipating my illusions of love. I couldn’t fight while pregnant. I couldn’t sacrifice myself, carrying an innocent life, the line of Amicitia, to save Prompto. But I would have to. I had foolishly thought that perhaps I was falling in love with Gladio, that we were sharing something unforgettable, but Fate had other plans for us. I brought my hand up to my eyes and tried not to cry.

“Damn it, I’m sorry, I had to go and open my big frigging mouth.” Gladio put his arm across my torso in an attempt to hug me. “I just… I love you. And, I know you have obligations, just as I have mine. But because of that, you have a better understanding of me than any other woman could. You actually understand what a Calling is, and why we can’t turn away from it. That’s why, if things don’t work out with him, if he rejects you,” he moved my arm to look in my eyes, “I want you to consider marrying me. I’m serious.”

I didn’t answer him. I had no idea what to say or how to feel. He said he loved me, he wanted to marry me, after something like twelve days together. This was insanity. But he seemed so sincere. With a frown, he sank down, sighing heavily, his arm still draped over me, his lips resting on my shoulder. We were quiet, lying naked, slick with sweat in this dingy hotel room, trying to sort out our future. I rolled onto my side, facing away from him, wondering if I’d made a mistake in not saving myself for marriage. What possessed me to make such an unwise yet bold move? I wasn’t particularly happy or proud of myself at the moment, despite how elated we both were ten minutes ago. Gladio kissed my shoulder and moved his hand to my hip, whispering about how he could lay like this forever with me. I don’t recall how much time passed while I beat myself up over what I had done. Would he tell the guys? What would they think of me? I could only imagine what they would say behind my back. I must have fallen asleep at some point, yet when I woke, it was still dark outside. Gladio had just showered and put his clothes back on. He was tightening his belt when I sat up.

He turned to kneel at my bedside. “Sorry, I’ve got to get back over there. We’ve got plans with Talcott in the morning, so I’ve gotta go check on Noct and get some sleep.” He reached for my hand. “You sleep in. And think about what I said, okay? I love you.”

Again, I didn’t answer and with a forced smile, he went back to his room.

I sat in the darkness of that strange place, still naked, still hearing strange muffled voices through the walls and outside my window. When I was sure none of those voices was Ignis yelling, I rinsed off in the shower, put my robe back on, and tried to fall back asleep. What I didn’t realize until morning came was that I had cried during the night. My pillow was damp. Maybe I didn’t want Gladio to leave my side after what we shared. Perhaps I cared for him more than I thought. Maybe there was a flicker of love there, and not just a dare.

The sun was shining brightly through my window when I finally awoke. Apparently, I had slept through Iris entering my room and leaving my clean clothes in a neatly folded pile atop the chair in the corner. On the floor was my duffel bag with my extra uniform and sleep clothes. With a sigh, I changed into my uniform, trying to look professional. I brushed my hair and packed my belongings, ready to head downstairs to find the guys. Instead, as I walked out, I met Prompto in the hallway. My heart jumped, making me feel instantly guilty for what I had done, like I had cheated on him, but he approached with his usual cheerful smile.

“Hey,” he held up a gloved hand in greeting, “Good thing you’re up. Noct and Iris should be back any sec- woah!” his eyes widened as he looked at me, “What vampire got you?” he pointed toward my throat.

“What?” I clasped my hands around the area and ran back inside my room, rushing to the little mirror. Sure enough, there was a hickey the size of a quarter on the left side of my throat, and as I pushed my collar aside, there was another on my shoulder. I peeked down my shirt and there was yet another. My face reddened as I fumbled, “I guess… I got pretty bruised up yesterday.” I adjusted my clothes the best I could to hide the majority of them, but Prompto was oddly quiet as I stepped past him, heading downstairs.

There was no breakfast, but there was a complimentary basket of fruit on a table with apples, bananas and oranges. Most of the fruit was browned or wilted, but I found an apple with only one bruise and ate that while I waited for Noct. My heart caught in my throat when I saw Gladio standing by the entrance of the hotel. I hoped he hadn’t said anything to anyone about what we had done. I sat quietly in a corner while Prompto, Gladio and Ignis spoke with a young boy of about ten or so, whom I assumed to be the ‘Talcott’ Gladio had spoken of. Beside the boy was an older man, presumably the lad’s grandfather by the way they spoke with one another.

“Deni!” Gladio waved me over, and my hand rose self-consciously to my collar, covering my throat as I approached. He set a hand on my shoulder as he introduced us. “This is Jared and Talcott Hester. They’re my and Iris’s, well, assistants.”

Jared, the elder gentleman, spoke up. “Retainers, Master Gladiolus. Being that the Amicitias are so close to the royal bloodline, it is the line of Hester that must assist you.”

Talcott chimed in merrily, “We’re Lady Iris’s guards.” He waved an imaginary sword at Gladio.

“Talcott,” Jared warned, “Mind your manners.”

Noctis entered the hotel with a smile on his face watching the youngster, Iris following closely behind him. “I don’t mind, Jared. The kid’s got spunk, a sense of duty. More than I had at that age.”

“More than you do at this age,” Gladio chided.

“Anyway,” Prompto tried to remain cheerful, “Talcott, tell Noct what you were talking about on our walk.”

Young Talcott proceeded to tell us about a rumor of a legendary sword hidden behind a waterfall, not too far from Lestallum.

“Sounds like one of the lost tombs,” Ignis sounded hopeful.

“Let’s go,” Noctis led the way out without a second thought, with Prompto and Ignis following closely behind.

I waited for Gladio as he said a quick goodbye to his little sister, telling her he’d see her later, and we headed out together.

I asked, “So you guys are looking for tombs now? I thought we were going to Altissia.”

“We were, but… Noct has to gather some, um, family relics before he can earn his rightful place.”

note: mild language/ suggestive themes/ minors DNI

Chapter Nine, Part One (of one)

Chapter Nine: Truth or Dare

I was ushered into my own private room while the rest talked next door. I understood that they were discussing sensitive information, but I wanted to be trusted. I was a part of their group now, and I wanted to prove my worth. So I obeyed their orders and remained in my room.

It was small, perhaps 15×15 feet, with just enough room for the twin bed by a small window, a black leather armchair, a standing lamp by the door, a nightstand, and a cracked television mounted on the wall. The walls were painted olive green long ago, but now showed patches of brown, almost making the room patina. Boring stock photos of fields and flowers were haphazardly hung on the walls, and after a little investigating, I was correct in assuming they were hiding holes in the Sheetrock. The bathroom was directly across from the foot of my bed, and held only a toilet, the interior ringed with rust, a sink, and blessedly, a shower. How I had missed being clean. Turning back into my bedroom, I spotted a small mirror beside the television, and I checked my reflection, and felt mortified.

My cheek was still slightly puffy with a yellowed bruise, and my eye was a bit bloodshot from where Gladio had struck me earlier. The entire left side of my head was matted with dirt and blood, and my fingernails were disgustingly filthy, despite my attempts at washing them in every stream we came across. I looked at the scar on my lip and wondered how Gladio could kiss me, looking the way I did.

There was a knock at the door and I jumped back, nearly calling the bo into my hand. The door was unlocked, as I was not accustomed to city life. It opened tentatively, and someone stepped inside.

With a smile, Iris held out a white cotton bundle to me. “You should take a shower and rest while you can. Let me take your dirty clothes. The hotel has a cleaning service, they’ll be back to you in the morning, good as new!”

I smiled gratefully. “I’ll take you up on that offer.” I reached for the white bundle and brought it into my bathroom, where I removed my uniform and underclothes, tossing them out to Iris. I heard her pick them up, say her goodbyes and close the door behind her on the way out. I began to run the water, one arm covering my breasts although I was alone. I was nervous, being naked in this strange place, hearing the boys’ muddled voices through the wall, half-expecting the water to come out brown or to have bugs fly from the spigot. Luckily, my only problem was the temperature. Lestallum was so humid, even the cold water ran warm. But I stood under that shower for close to half an hour, enjoying that simple pleasure. I began scrubbing the blood and grime and sweat from my body, shaving unwanted hair and lathering and rinsing multiple times.

When I was satisfied, I turned off the water, no longer hearing the muttering next door. I reached for a towel, only to find that it wasn’t a towel. It was only a bathrobe, and a small one at that. For the size of it, it could have belonged to Iris. I pulled it on, tying it into place, and stepped into the main room to get my hairbrush, catching my reflection once again. I looked much cleaner, but this robe… It did not meet my modest expectations. Every time I raised my arms to brush my hair, it pulled, revealing much more cleavage than I thought I had; I felt the fabric barely covering my ass cheek.

Rest, Iris had told me. I sat down on the edge of the bed, yet jumped back up as if something had bitten me. I looked down at the bed in wonder of how many people had lain there, made love there, had dirty sex there. With my lip curling, I wasn’t sure I could sleep there. I glanced out the window, where the sun had now set. The sky was a deep blue, but the streets below were still lit and still had people loitering, some busking with guitars, some calling over friends, some still trying to sell something.

Another knock at my door made me jump, bringing my hand up to my throat in surprise, and I took a step toward the sound.

“Ardenia?” I recognized the deep rumble as Gladio. He sounded hesitant in the way he said my name. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”

“It’s not locked,” I said, taking one more cautious step forward. I was curious as to what it was he had to talk to me about at this hour.

He stepped inside my dim room in stocking feet, no boots, locking the door behind him. The only lights were from the bathroom and the street lamps outside. He kept his eyes down as he entered, muttering, “Noct’s asleep with a headache, the other two are on an errand, so I’ve got a minute to—” He glanced up and stopped mid-step, his jaw slack for a moment, “Uh, um, am I… interrupting… dressing?”

“No,” I blushed, self-consciously pulling the bathrobe down further on my legs, which only hiked it up more in the back. “Iris took my clothes to get washed, and you guys have my bag in your room.”

He swallowed hard and nodded, looking my body over for only a moment before composing himself. “Right, I’ll grab it for you in a minute. But like I said, we should talk. About earlier. I’m, I’m sorry that I kissed you. That was too forward of me and—”

I blurted out, “I wanted you to.”

He swallowed again, but this time he met my eyes. “You did?”

Some sort of electrical charge raced through my body, giving me the confidence to step forward even as my knees trembled. “Yes. And I want you to do it again.”

Gladio wet his lips and took a step forward. “You’re sure you don’t want to talk first, because while I’d really like to kiss you, that might lead to something else, and I don’t want either of us to have regrets.”

I drew in a shaky breath, trying to control my emotions, but it was no use. I couldn’t focus on just one. The prospect of taking another step into a relationship was thrilling, terrifying, daunting, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Slowly, I lifted my hand to his face, caressing his bearded jawline, sinking into those amber eyes, dreaming about what our next kiss would be like. I wanted to know how it would feel to have his strong arms around my naked body, to know pleasures I had only read about. But as my hand slipped down his beaded necklace to his bare, muscled chest, I began to have doubts. I lowered my eyes, my arms crossed my chest.

“I’m afraid,” I admitted in a near whisper, “that if we talk, if I tell you everything and start asking questions and receive your honest answer, it would complicate everything we’ve started between us.” I glanced up at him and seemed taken aback at my sincerity. Maybe he was scared that I was taking this too seriously. After all, it was only one kiss, it wasn’t like he was asking for a lifelong commitment. I continued, “I don’t want that to change. I think, what we’re attempting… it’s something special. But I don’t want to start something we each can’t commit to.”

His shoulders dropped in apparent disappointment and he took a step back from me; not heading for the door, but taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

He smirked sheepishly. “I came over here to apologize and be turned away as it was. Seeing how you want to talk, to continue this, you’re willing to try, that’s good enough for me.”

I wanted to smile, but I couldn’t. He was silent for a few minutes, either thinking over my words or what he wanted to say next, but my mind kept wandering. I knew Ignis warned me against this. I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about Gladio this way, but all I wanted was for him to back me against the wall and kiss me like they do in movies. Show me what they did behind closed doors. I bet there were all kinds of things he could teach me.

Finally, he cleared his throat, as it was just as uncomfortable for him to speak as well. “So, given what you’ve said, you’re hesitant because of Prompto.”

I nodded, “Ignis wanted me to tell you the specifics of our bond sooner, so you wouldn’t get your hopes up, but… I couldn’t. I like… being close to you. I like our time together.” My fists clenched in frustration as I repeated the scroll’s text aloud: “A life for a life, mine is yours now, until mine own death, or we eternally vow.” I sighed, “Basically, I repay Prompto by...” I could hardly choke out the words, “By marrying him, hence the eternal vow.”

“Or ‘until mine own death.’ You save him but you die in the process.”

“I don’t want to die, Gladio. Not now. But I don’t foresee myself marrying him, either. But I can’t just… defy the Scroll.”

“Why not? It’s not like you’re on a time limit, right?” He watched me shrug my shoulders. “Then whose to say he dies of natural causes when he’s eighty? Or it takes that blockhead that long to realize he’d been missing out the whole time? What are you supposed to do in the meantime? Twiddle your thumbs, waiting for danger, devoid of a lovelife for yourself, watching him chase after a woman he’ll never have?”

I smirked, “That’s kind of what I was expecting.”

He stood up, “Then don’t dwell on it! Prompto will be fine as long as all of us are in this together.” Gladio took hold of my hands, “As for me, well, Noct is the One Hundred and Fourteenth Prince of Lucis. Since the beginning, an Amicitia has been at their side. Noctis and Lady Lunafreya, the Oracle, are still going to marry, despite whatever the Imperials had planned. Someday, there may be a One Hundred and Fifteenth Prince, and Ignis doesn’t want to realize this, but I have another role to play here.”

I nodded, following his words, “You want a son before Noct and Lady Lunafreya have children, to protect the next prince, as your lineage dictates.”

“Exactly. I’ve been looking for a couple of years, to find someone who would understand my duties, that I am both the King’s Shield and his strength. His mental strength for when he feels overwhelmed. His physical strength in battle. His emotional strength when he feels like he’s lost hope. I may have resented Noct for being a spoiled little shit when we were growing up, but now, we’re like brothers. The four of us are. We can tear each other down, but we’re twice as fast as lifting another up.”

“Then why is Ignis so against it?”

Gladio smiled sadly, “Because he’s like you. Rules. Etiquette. Presentation. You are both purists. You get upset when someone disrupts the fate of things.”

I pulled my hands from his at the mention of one word and glanced away. “Do you believe in it? Fate?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Somewhat. But I also believe it can be modified. Maybe it was fate that Ignis chose that spot to park, where we heard you scream. Maybe it was fate that your mom tried to give me the Scroll first, and you changed it.”

My eyes widened. Did I make a monumental mistake? I tried to justify my decision, “But he… he saved me.”

“Did he? Who hollered his name in warning to get the final shot?”

I briefly recalled someone yell just before Prompto rolled us away. “So, that was you?”

He shrugged indifferently. “I guess the definition of ‘saving’ could be taken either way.” Gladio stepped toward me, his hand reaching up to first caress my scarred lip, but his hand ran down my neck, tightening on my shoulder. “All I really care about is that you’re safe. Even if it means you end up with someone else. That’s how much I—” a blush rushed to his face, “Deni, this may be obvious, but I’ve fallen for you so hard, so quickly, I can hardly sleep at night. I can’t think straight. I can’t think of anything but how I want—”

“Wait,” I backed a step, quieting him, “I’m sorry, but I have to know what I’m getting into here. Have, um, have you done this before?” I glanced toward the bed, my cheeks blazing.

“Um, well,” he backed a step and reached up to scratch the back of his head, an uncomfortable, lopsided smile on his lips, “That’s complicated. Relationships? A real girlfriend? No, I haven’t. But sex, that, yes, I have.”

My mouth dropped open in horrified astonishment. I assumed Gladio would know the ways of the world, but to say it in such a manner, and have the truth thrown out so casually.

He went on, “I know it sounds strange, but it was purely for educational and informational use. I hardly knew who she was. A damn fine teacher, I remember that.” The smile dropped from his face, replaced with anxiety after seeing my expression change. “I just mean that she,” he huffed, not sure how to explain, “Look, Ignis went through something similar. It was solely for learning purposes. In the event that Noct had any questions, we could answer them honestly. Really. It was one time, that’s all. And I won’t lie, at the time, of course I was excited. Enthusiastic. But after, much longer after, as I thought about my future, I began to regret it. And I may sound old-fashioned or weak, but that was one of those moments in your life that you remember forever, and I was no one to her. A pupil. I wanted—”

“Something more emotional?” I could sympathize.

“More than that. I wanted,” he gulped, embarrassed to admit this aloud, “I wanted to be… in love, with that person. That’s why I’m ready now.”

I wasn’t sure which expression my face showed, because I felt a wide range of emotions at once: astonishment at his insinuation, elation that he might be telling me the truth, anxious that he was only telling me this line because he felt ‘ready.’

Ultimately, I think I expressed disappointment. While I fantasized over and over again about Gladio, and now that he was here, directly in front of me, confessing his innermost feelings, something felt wrong. It was the fact that I didn’t reciprocate his feelings. I found him incredibly attractive and fun to be with. I thought about all the ways he could be my teacher, but I couldn’t say I was head over heels in love with him. Maybe we were rushing into this. He had hinted that I could be the one who helped him continue the Amicitia line, but I wasn’t prepared for that commitment, or how that would affect the terms of my Scroll.

After a moment, I replied gently, “But I’m not ready for that step yet. I don’t know how to feel. We hardly know each other, Gladio. Besides, we both have obligations to other people—”

He interrupted with a growl, “Don’t say it like that. My obligation is to keep Noct alive, yours is to screw Prompto when he feels like it.”

I felt my heart lodge in my throat. He had hurt my feelings with his bluntness, but I understood his frustration. When I spoke, I thought I would sound reasonable, but my emotions were running too high. I growled back: “That’s not true and you know it.”

He turned up his nose. “If you end up marrying him, it will be.”

Seeing the way his lip curled in disgust, I smirked, “You are jealous of him!”

He shrugged, throwing up his hands, looking away from me as if I wouldn’t notice the redness creeping up his throat and onto his cheeks. “Well, whatever. You know what? I’d bang you so hard right now that you’d forget that blond little shit’s name.”

The words were out of my mouth before I could think about the consequences: “I dare you to try.”

note: mild language/violence

Chapter Eight, Part One (of one)

Chapter Eight: Lestallum

When my eyes next opened, I saw yellow. Yellow hair, yellow sparks fading into the sky. Prompto was leaning over me, his hands covering mine as they lay across my chest.

“Hey, guys, she’s coming to!”

“What happened?” I tried to sit up, but Prompto held me back, placing one hand on my shoulder.

“Woah, slow down!”

From somewhere above me, I heard Noctis laugh, “You got knocked slam out.”

I recalled the fear and horror in Gladio’s eyes, and I sat up on my own. The last bits of burning feathers evaporated from my hand and carefully, Prompto pulled me to my feet. He held my hand, keeping me steady. I couldn’t bear to look up at him; my eyes never left my boots. “So you saved me yet again?”

With his free hand, he ran it through his hair, shuffling his feet awkwardly. “Saved? Nah, I just helped. I get knocked down a lot, I try to keep a few of these babies around. Phoenix Downs. Ya know, cause a Phoenix rises—”

“I think she gets it,” Noctis interrupted, “Come on, sun’s gonna set soon, and I’d like to get to Lestallum before Ignis jumps on my ass about driving in the dark.” He tried to obnoxiously imitate his accent, “Noct, the roads are perilous at night.”

Prompto hid a laugh behind his hand.

Noct continued in his normal voice, “He said it’s just beyond the bridge, through the tunnel and boom.”

I smiled the best I could despite the headache and slight dizziness I still felt. “I highly doubt Ignis said ‘boom.’”

“True that,” Prompto let me go, but eyed me warily, “You good to walk?”

I nodded, “I think so.” I glanced up as Noct and Prompto started ahead, catching sight of Ignis reaming Gladio out by the car. The big man stood, arms crossed, head down in shame as Ignis shouted and pointed. He stopped short when he noticed I was upright, and quickly got into the driver’s seat as Noct and Prompto approached.

Gladio jogged up to me before I even got to cross the road. “Ardenia,” he stepped in front to block my path, “I just...” he gulped, his face reddened with both anger at himself and at Ignis. “I need to apologize. Never in a hundred years would I actively, willingly, physically harm you. Yet I did. I got too focused on winning instead of teaching. I let my guard down and I hurt you.” He reached out and caressed the back of my bloodied head, running his thumb over the scar on my lip. His voice lowered to a whisper, “I don’t regret one moment of my life more than that.”

“Gladio,” I reached out my hand, resting it on his forearm in reassurance that I accepted his apology, and before I could blink, his lips were on mine, warm and tense and tender. He turned away quickly, as to not arouse suspicion among his friends.

My body moved forward on its own, following him, but my mind was awhirl. My first kiss was with Gladiolus Amicitia, not Prompto Argentum, with whom I was fated. What was going on? Wasn’t I Destined to be with Prompto? Wasn’t that why he saved me? Noctis, ever oblivious, smiled as I sat down between him and Gladio. “You’ve got some color back in your face, that’s a good sign.”

I bit my lip and nodded, still feeling the pressure from the kiss. Beside me, Gladio turned his face away and opened a book, pretending to read. Pretending, because even I noticed that it was upside down.

I hardly noticed we had pulled away from the curb and were in motion until I heard Ignis’s frustrated voice, “Prompto! Please sit, ass cheeks in the seat!”

I glanced up, seeing Prompto on his knees in his seat, leaning over the door, looking down into the canyon as we crossed the bridge. I felt queasy, seeing how high we were, knowing the drop was a couple of miles deep. “Prompto, please,” I covered my mouth with my hand, “You’re making me nervous.”

He glanced over his shoulder, worry in his eyes, then took my advice with a “Yes, ma’am.” He was soon distracted with the tunnel appearing ahead and he and Noctis got into a discussion about ‘warping to another dimension,’ whatever that meant. However, I did share their enthusiasm, as this was the first time I had been in a tunnel like this. It was carved from the mountainside, skirting it instead of boring through it, so while the tunnel as laid entirely of brick, openings were left on the opposite side like windows, displaying disturbing yet oddly beautiful scenery of the canyon and a crater in the distance. The tunnel was dim, despite the setting sun and the lights inside, and when we neared the end, the world seemed so much brighter, and hotter. Hotter than Hammerhead. We had entered the city of Lestallum.

At first glance, the city had an upbeat feel to it, a sort of party vacation spot. Ignis found a parking spot by an overlook, but the boys didn’t want to waste time sightseeing, despite Prompto’s excitement about a cable car, whatever that was. They were still on a mission. I followed them up a flight of rounded stairs, nearly running into Noctis as Gladio stopped in his tracks.

“An entire truckful of Cup Noodles right outside the city. Alright!”

The prince sighed, “I hoped you wouldn’t notice.”

“Seriously?” Gladio gestured to the truck on his right, “I wouldn’t notice a truckload of my favorite food? Can we get some for the road?”

With a smirk, Noctis approached the vendor. “I’ll take, um, ten.”

Ignis pushed his glasses back, “Noct, we can’t afford ten if you wish to sleep in a bed tonight.”

“Oh, then um, two.” With the exchange of Gil, Noctis put the two packages into Gladio’s backpack.

I read the truck’s logo, then followed they boys across the street. “Cup Noodles? What’s that?”

Gladio paused, “Are you serious? You’ve never had Cup Noodles?”

Ignis stated, “You saw her mother cook, correct? And she’s not exactly familiar with the city or the negative effects of it.”

I wasn’t sure if he was being condescending, so I stayed quiet, and so did Gladio, with a slight nod of acknowledgment. We urged Noctis along as he was being held up by another street vendor offering free meat on a stick, but we made a left down an alley that completely changed my entire outlook on city life.

Lestallum was a hot, muggy city, which I soon learned, provided the power plant that supplied electricity to all surrounding regions, from as far west as Cleigne, as far east as Hammerhead, and as far south as Galdin Quay. This was a city that never slept, and apparently never learned to pick up their trash. Overfull or ripped open garbage bags littered the alleyways and corners, and dirty people did too. I don’t know if they were homeless or just loitering, but the men seemed depressed that it was the females who worked at and maintained the power plant. It was a bit frightening, this total change from my forest life, and I grabbed the closest arm to me. It was Prompto, and he forced a smile at me in reassurance.

We arrived at the only hotel in town, Hotel Leville, which appeared respectable from the foyer, with no trash from the large fountain out front to the entrance door. There were children playing down the next alleyway, and when they looked up at us, I half expected them to cry for money. We had almost reached the door when the ground beneath our feet began to tremble, a horrible grinding stone sound, and after a few moments, it was over. Yet Noct grabbed his skull, reeling in pain. Both Prompto and Ignis rushed to his side.

“Ugh, my head just started throbbing!”

Gladio tried to make light of it, “So when the ground shakes, your brain aches?”

“Something like that.”

He then deducted sourly, “That’s not normal.”

Noct sighed, trying to shake off the pain and led us into the hotel.

The employee at the check-in desk was young and sounded energetic as he greeted, “Welcome to the Hotel Leville, how may we help you?”

Noctis barely opened his mouth to respond before we heard a female voice shout from above, “Noct! Gladdy!”

We all turned as a short, slender girl of around fifteen raced down the stairs, her black calf-high boots thudding on the wood, her short plaid skirt barely covering her slim thighs. She leaped into Gladio’s outstretched arms, hugging him tightly as he spun her in a circle.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” he sighed, setting her carefully on her feet, and I felt a stab of jealousy. Had he already forgotten about our kiss earlier?

She tucked a small lock of black, pixie-cut hair behind her ear, “I’m glad you guys are, too.” She began to hug each of them, “I was so scared about hearing Noct on the radio, I just had to call you when I got service.”

“And Luna?” the prince failed at hiding the apprehension in his voice, “Have you heard more?”

Ignis stepped forward, knowing better than to discuss this in the open. “Let’s continue this conversation in our rooms, shall we?”

I felt a knot in my stomach ever since I heard the girl call Gladio “Gladdy.” Was she on more familiar terms? She was the reason we even came this far west. She skipped up to me, extending her hand in greeting.

“Hi! I’m Iris, Gladdy’s little sister!”

Dumbfounded and a little embarrassed that I didn’t immediately see the family resemblance, the same color hair and eyes, same long eyelashes, I shook her hand. “Iris, Gladio’s sister,” I found myself nodding, “A pleasure. I’m Ardenia. I just joined—”

note: mild language/violence

Chapter Seven, Part Two

“Oh!” Clumsily, he fumbled around the railing, walking backward toward his bunk, anxious that I had invaded his personal space. He forced a laugh, “I suppose you’re right. Although I don’t know how I can teach you how to dodge bullets with a whip.”

“Maybe Cor has a few ideas.”

“Yeah, he can—”

The door opened without warning, letting in a flood of bright orange light and Gladio. He hardly glanced at our faces as he spoke. “Yo, it’s time to head out.”

Prompto waved an arm toward the table, “But I didn’t get to eat!”

“Tough shit, what’ve you been doing in here this whole time?”

Prompto brushed by me and sat at the table, finishing his breakfast while Gladio inspected the camper for any personal belongings we may have left behind.

“So no training this morning?” I asked him.

He kept his back to me as he spoke. “No. Noct wants to get on the road. Maybe we can sometime in the afternoon if we stop before Lestallum.”

By his clipped sentences, I wasn’t sure if he was upset that we couldn’t train now, at Prompto’s apparent selfishness, or angry that Cor embarrassed him in front of us. Perhaps he was anxious about meeting this woman in Lestallum. Honestly, I was nervous too, although I know it’s foolish to be. Everyone else they’ve introduced me to has been friendly and professional. If anything, I’m the one causing them anxiety.

I guess I was lost in thought, for when I glanced up, Gladio was looming over me, and I flinched when he spoke:

“You, too. Get your bags. We’re leaving as soon as Prompto’s done dragging his ass.”

By now, Prompto had finished his meal and cleaned our plates, and apparently was tired of being singled out. “What the hell, man? Why do you blame me for everything?”

“You deserve it.” Gladio glanced from him to me before walking out, slamming the door behind him.

Prompto’s bottom lip protruded, accepting Gladio’s words as an uncomfortable truth, but his forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Why’s he taking it out on you, too?”

I shrugged, but I knew why. It was simple. Prompto saved me and Gladio didn’t. Prompto is my main concern until the day I die, and Gladio is… well, I don’t know how to describe what Gladio is to me. He’s awakening something in me that I’d never felt before. I think he feels the same, yet Ignis reminds him of his duty to Noctis persistently, and just seeing Prompto’s face reminds him of his connection to me.

I just needed some time to sort out my feelings while I got to know these guys better. It had been just over a week since we’d met. It was much too early to consider anything romantic, but because of the Scroll, it was in the forefront of my mind.

Abruptly, I turned and headed outside, shielding my eyes from the morning sun, already feeling the uncomfortable warmth. I tossed my duffel bag into the trunk of the Regalia and sat down in my assigned seat. The only one in the car before me was Ignis, and he said nothing to me until the other three began to approach.

He questioned, “When are you going to tell them?”

“Why don’t you figure that out?” I snapped and crossed my arms in front of my chest. If he wanted to be in charge of everything so badly, let him decide. It would certainly take some pressure off of me.

Ignis didn’t reply or change his expression as he started the ignition. The others took their places, eyes downcast.

Noctis, seemingly oblivious to the tension, smiled over at me as the car pulled onto the highway. “How’d you like your uniform? I’m glad we’re matching, ya know?”

I smirked and ran my hand over my pant-leg. “It’ll take some getting used to. I’m not used to wearing anything so tight.”

Gladio shifted uncomfortably and took out a book to read. Prompto put in his earbuds to listen to some music and he bounced his shoulders to the rhythm as Noct and I watched the scenery. In less than an hour, we left behind the golden sands and rocky dunes for green scrub grass, and soon after, tall, thin trees began to thrive along the roadside. The landscape soon became familiar to me, as we were headed back through Duscae on our way to the Cleigne region. I felt a twinge of homesickness as we passed the intersection hailing the Chocobo Race Track sign. If we turned left there, I could visit home. I wondered how my mother was faring without me.

I hadn’t realized I had turned in my seat, staring back at the road home until Noctis blocked my view by sitting atop the seat, letting the wind ruffle his dark hair. “We’ll go back,” he promised, “We’ve still got a couple of contracts to fulfill out there.”

“Like the Behemoth, Deadeye?”

“Yeah, for starters.”

I looked down into my lap. I wasn’t sure if I was looking forward to that mission or not. It would be nice to avenge my father, but I was still inexperienced in actual battle.

Resting my head back, I gazed up at the bright blue sky, grateful for the return of white, billowing clouds and shade from the tall trees and mountains to our north. I relaxed to the point where I was simply in the presence of friends and not royalty, watching bird formations overhead instead of worrying about what the others thought of me. A couple times, I was aware of Gladio, shifting his leg away from mine in the small confines of the backseat, and Prompto turning in his seat to speak with Noct.

We began to pass into a large shadow, and I gasped slightly, awed by the sight. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but I sat forward, staring up toward the formation above us. From my peripheral vision, I barely took notice of Noctis tapping Ignis on the shoulder, the driver acknowledging, “Certainly,” as the Regalia pulled onto the shoulder.

“Hey, Noct,” Prompto leaned over me to tap his friend’s knee, “This looks like a great spot for a little photo op, whattdya say?”

“I say,” the prince began, “We must be reading the same book—”

Ignis parked the car and exited, finishing the sentence, “Because we’re on the same page.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ignis and Gladio cross the street, hopping over metal guardrails as Prompto readied his camera. Noctis clapped me on the back, urging me forward.

“It’s different, seeing it up close,” he told me.

I let him guide me, as my gaze was still transfixed on the double redstone archways above us. “I could see these from my house, they seemed like, this big,” I set my thumb and forefinger two inches apart. “Now, they have to be miles long!” I finally faced him and I couldn’t hide my excitement, “Has anyone ever climbed up and crossed it? Do you think we can? Camping up there would be amazing! That view, that close to the stars—”

Noctis laughed, “Prompto would probably roll off the ledge.”

“Ha ha,” the blond muttered, setting the tripod into position, “Get ready!”

Something brushed my fingers, and I looked down to see it was Gladio’s hand, catching my attention. “We will,” he whispered, his eyes locked on mine as he squeezed my hand, “Someday, we will. I promise.”

A blush began to form on my cheeks, and there was no mistaking his intentions. That camping trip would be for the two of us, alone.

Gladio draped his arms over my and Noct’s shoulders as Ignis stood close to me, holding up two fingers in a peace sign. Prompto dove to his knees in front of me, facing the camera, arms outstretched jovially. I barely had the mind to smile before the camera clicked and our first group photo was taken. Prompto leapt to his feet, agile as ever, quickly gathering his camera and tripod while Ignis led us back to the Regalia. All the while, Prompto talked about what a great location that spot was and how he’s sure that photo will be Noct’s favorite of the day. He rambled about lighting and shadows as Ignis drove us toward Lestallum, but the ride was once again interrupted.

“Dude,” Prompto almost sounded as if he were in pain, “Ya gotta pull over. I gotta piss like super bad.”

Gladio chided, “Shoulda gone while we were stopped last time.”

“Now that he mentioned it,” Noctis shifted in his seat, “Iggy, would you mind?”

“If that’s the way of it,” Ignis muttered with an annoyed sigh, looking for a spot to pull the car over. After a few restless minutes of Prompto squirming in his seat like it was full of ants and Noctis sighing as if he were terribly inconvenienced, Ignis found a parking area beside an abandoned timber outfit. The two boys jumped out, hopping over a guardrail and heading for the thickest brush. Ignis stood by the car, watching like a mother hen while Gladio got out to stretch his long legs.

“Real nice here,” he approved, breathing in the forest. “Come on,” he urged me with a nod of his head, “We’ve got a couple minutes to train til they get back.”

I nodded and followed him across the street. The air seemed a bit warmer as we stepped onto the patch of scrub grass, scattered shrubbery and little boulders that were four or five feet tall, spread haphazardly like giant dice.

Our training area overlooked a deep canyon, and we would be crossing a narrow, winding bridge by car momentarily. I stepped past Gladio, trying to gather my courage to get as close to the edge as possible, to see exactly how deep this canyon was, but even at twenty yards away, my knees were shaking. I stopped, trying to gauge the distance by the rocky cliff of sedimentary rock on the other side. Gladio jogged past me, stopping at the edge. One wrong move and he would be lost. Yet he set his hands on his hips, casually commenting on how there was no fence or guardrail here.

“Get away from there!” I called to him, my voice shaking as much as my knees were.

He laughed at my concern as he lumbered toward me, drawing only his shield. “Alright, let’s see if you can get a hit on me before Specs calls us back.”

I summoned my bo and took a few practice swings, then came at him. Gladio’s expression changed, and he went into warrior mode instead of teacher mode. It was like he didn’t see me, only my weapon, and he blocked each one of my attacks with ease. I tried to throw him off by suddenly switching to my whip. I crouched down into a diving roll like he had suggested yesterday, and I attempted to get behind him. With a quick flick of my wrist, the whip lashed out, finding its mark on his left wrist, the one holding the shield. I yanked hard, trying to topple him, but just as Cor had done, he used that force against me, turning into hit, backhanding the shield directly into my left temple and cheekbone. It was all slow motion from there. I watched his eyes widen in horrific realization of what he had done as I fell to the earth, hitting the back of my head on one of those small boulders. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing- stars? Triplicate? Black or white?