Chosen Prince Of the Night

She nods simply, she was able to see just how tired, and beat he was without saying. Something that she was going to remedy as soon as she possibly could. 

There were things in the way of doing so currently, mainly the guests that were still chatting in the garden room, but, their get together wouldn’t be lasting the night, it was just for the afternoon. Then, she could pay attention to Noctis without fear of other eyes seeing. 

The way that he looked at their daughter though, warmed her heart to no end. His gaze was so full of love for their little baby girl…. And she seemed perfecly contend in his arms, for the time being. 

“I can’t say I know the scale of that accomplishment, but that sounds like a job well done.” Luna says softly so not to startle the little one awake any further. 

Tonight families just like his were safe in their homes because of what he had accomplished and that small victory was worth all the aches and weariness he felt.

Tired eyes looked back at his wife, his smile deepening.

“I just need a bath and some rest,” he replied softly. “I know it must look bad but I can handle it on my own.”

“And I just want to be with the two of you. That’s all the healing I need.”

He was content in the moment, with his daughter in his arms and his wife at his side.

“She really loves you.” Luna says softly tilting her head in gesture towards Nym. “All week she’s being crying and putting up a fuss when she wakes up because she’s hungry. But it seems if in your arms, she no longer cares.” 

He bounced her gently in his arms as her tiny plump limbs waved, reaching up towards his face.

Truely he could stay there forever.

Yet he knew that he was caked in grime and in an amount of pain that a million smiles from his daughter could not cure.

So he relented and gently stood to hand his daughter off to Luna. As she took hold of the little one he gently kissed his wife on the crown of her had and turned to walk out of the room.

Unburdened and free of the pleasant aura of his daughter he suddenly felt the weight of all his aches yet again.

“your feet are cold.”

“movies are made for watching, not for asking questions.”

“you’re hogging the blankets!”

“we should cuddle… for warmth.”

“is that your hand on my leg?”

“scoot over.”

“can we watch something else? this is scary.” 

“are you shivering?” 

“if you start snoring, i won’t be responsible for what happens to you.”

“did you eat all the popcorn?”

“your hair keeps getting in my face.”

“are you even wearing pants??”

“stop kicking me!”

“you’re a good pillow.”

“do i look like a foot-rest to you?”

“do i look like a pillow to you?”

“i’m cold.”

“It’s just a scratch. You worry too much.”

“Ah… ! Don’t press there!”

“Just put a bandage on it and I’ll be fine.”

“That looks bad. Really bad.”

“Try not to look at it.”

“That hurts!”

“You’re going to need bedrest for at least a few days.”

“I’m going to be stuck in bed for how long?”

“That’s nothing, you big baby.”

“Here, let me help. I’m good at this sort of thing.”

“I can’t feel it. That’s bad, right?”

“Can you move?”

“How can something so small hurt so much?”

“It looks a lot worse than it is.”

“You’re a terrible patient.”

“Will you hold still? I can’t do anything if you keep squirming.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen skin turn that color before.”

“It’s just another a war trophy.”

“Shut up and let me help you.”

“I don’t care how tough you are. You can’t ignore that.”

She nods simply, she was able to see just how tired, and beat he was without saying. Something that she was going to remedy as soon as she possibly could. 

There were things in the way of doing so currently, mainly the guests that were still chatting in the garden room, but, their get together wouldn’t be lasting the night, it was just for the afternoon. Then, she could pay attention to Noctis without fear of other eyes seeing. 

The way that he looked at their daughter though, warmed her heart to no end. His gaze was so full of love for their little baby girl…. And she seemed perfecly contend in his arms, for the time being. 

“I can’t say I know the scale of that accomplishment, but that sounds like a job well done.” Luna says softly so not to startle the little one awake any further. 

Tonight families just like his were safe in their homes because of what he had accomplished and that small victory was worth all the aches and weariness he felt.

Tired eyes looked back at his wife, his smile deepening.

“I just need a bath and some rest,” he replied softly. “I know it must look bad but I can handle it on my own.”

“And I just want to be with the two of you. That’s all the healing I need.”

He was content in the moment, with his daughter in his arms and his wife at his side.

@tenebrianflower

He was tired.

That line alone summed up how he felt at that moment.

Exhausted.

His body ached, and a pained hiss left his lips as he placed weight on his left leg. He tread gingerly as he entered the house through the back door, discarding his jacket, armor and shoes haphazardly across the the throw rug.

He didn’t care what scolding he would receive for that.

He just wanted to sit down and become part of the furniture.

It had been a long week that had started with scattered reports of monster sightings in the general area. Before long the reports had grown more numerous, and it had become clear to the king that something had to be done before civilians’ lives and livelihoods were lost.

A hunting party had been formed with him at the head and his Kingsglaives providing suport to a band of experienced hunters.

Three nests had been eliminated.

Now the ecstasy of victory had waned and Noctis the triumphant King of Light was a man once more.

A tired, sore man with dirt on his face who wore tattered black battle fatigues of the fighter he once was.

He considered flopping down upon the couch but instantly saw his wife’s face in his head, so he turned towards the staircase, noting the quiet chatter coming from the garden rooom. Luna seemed to be having a tea party, and now he was more than embarased to be there with monster grim on his shirt.

Noctis quietly padded up the stairs and made for the bedroom when a soft muffled cry reached his ears.

With out second thought he made for the nursery, finding his daughter Nym in the first throws of waking up in a fit.

A smile drew across his face as he removed his shirt before scooping the child up in his arms. There was a blanket draped on the arm of the rocker and he carefully draped it over his shoulders as he sat down and began to rock.

She knew he could handle it. He was king, and it would inevitably be fine. But a part of her still worried. He wasn’t as young as he once was. The years hadn’t been kind on his body and she knew it. So having him go out and fight worried her… what if he didn’t come back?

She glanced through the door, a sigh of relief seeing the messy, tired figure slump off to the stairs. He was home again, and she was very thankful. 

Luna’s attention turned back to her guests, trying to listen in again on the conversation that had continued without her. It didn’t last but more then a few moments, the monitor she had placed in front of her on the table emanated a noise of slight distress. Her daughter was waking up from her nap. 

Luna moves to stand, gently excusing herself from the table, now with the excuse of needing to tend to the baby. She’d check on Noctis too. It seemed the fussing had stopped, and Luna assumed she knew what had happened. 

Instead of checking in their room for her husband, she just went straight to the nursery. Luna leaned up against the door frame, smiling softly seeing Noctis had a handle on the situation… sort of. She didn’t want to interrupt, knowing that if their daughter saw her, she probably would start to cry again. She was generally hungry when she woke up. 

“I’m alright,” he mumbled quietly. “Better now that I’m home.”

She was going to see right through his facade in an instant, yet mentally he was as he had said: ‘Alright.’

“Tired,” he added quietly, his blue eyes moving between her face and the face of his daughter.

The little girl’s face was contorting ever so softly indicating that she was waking. Yet he knew she could tell who’s arms she was in and was less likely to raise a fuss.

“We eliminated three nests over the course of five days.”

Noctis paused, taking in a long breath.