#ff15 aera

@lordzannis Coming right up!

"C'mon, brother!" Somnus threw his arm over Ardyn's shoulder, grinning so widely that Ardyn was surprised his teeth didn't fall from his mouth. "Your debut night should be one of enchantment, not of gloom!"

Ardyn made a face, his nose twitching from the strong smell of alcohol on Somnus's breath. He could almost taste it at the back of his throat, shuddering involuntarily.

"Easy for you to say when you've already drunk half the winery before the festivities…"

"They don't call it liquid courage for nothing!" Somnus chuckled, then sighed and let go of Ardyn upon seeing his frown. "Are you really going to let one mishap ruin your mood?"

"It wasn't just any mishap," Ardyn firmly corrected, his glare softening. "Our stunt with the impromptu race between our chocobos nearly cost a child her life. Forgive me for not being keen to put on a show for the locals while the guilt weighs on my conscience."

Somnus furrowed his brows. For all his philandering and playfulness, shame crept into his eyes for a few seconds as he allowed Ardyn to brood.

"Look," Somnus sighed, "you already took the fall for us, though it was me who goaded you. You set things right with father and compensated the family of that little one for duress. You're going to be the next king of Lucis. Self-imposed suffering will only get you so far."

"And as the future king, I should have led with maturity rather than behaving impetuously."

"Yes," Somnus nodded, smiling and frowning at once. "But you forget yourself. At the end of the day, you're just a boy. Just as I am."

Ardyn looked up and met Somnus's gaze. His words lacked their father's tact, but simplicity often spoke louder than eloquence.

Despite Somnus being twenty and Ardyn himself having just turned twenty-three, they were both still kids at the end of the day, and kids made mistakes. Humans made mistakes. Even those of royal blood.

Ardyn began to crack a smile, his lips growing wider as Somnus grabbed either side of his shoulders and gave him a playful shake to snap him out of his despondency.

I can let this go for now...

"C'mon, I know something that'll cheer you up!" Somnus exclaimed.

Ardyn scoffed, raising a brow. "This isn't like that time you kicked me into a shrub in front of the council, right?"

"We've been through that; it was an accident!" Somnus threw his hands up in surrender as he led Ardyn down the corridor of the palace, coming upon the large doors that led to the courtyard where most of the guests had gathered. They stuck close to the shadows at Somnus's behest and stopped by a pillar to hide.

"What on Eos are we skulking around like daemons for?" Ardyn frowned, crossing his arms as Somnus playfully gestured to a crowd of women.

"See that?"

"See who?"

"Are you blind?" Somnus balked. "Can't you see that's Aera among the beautiful hens over there? Y'know, our old playmate?"

Ardyn's lips parted in confusion as he squinted into the flood of people, scouting for the maidens Somnus had pointed out. There were many women present tonight, and Ardyn couldn't help but blush a little. He knew this was the doing of their father—casting out the net to try to entice potential suitors to present themselves to the future Lucian king. It wasn't an appealing concept, especially when at the end of the day, he wouldn't get to choose his mate. He had the illusion of choice.

Suddenly, the negative imaginings in Ardyn's mind ceased as his eyes settled on the most breathtaking creature he had ever seen. Her body was clothed in a gorgeous cerulean dress, contrasting with the dark sylleblossoms whose petals kissed the locks of her shoulder-length hair. Small crystals on the gown accentuated her waist and the bottom of her dress. But what was most appealing of all was her smile, and how all the noise outside disappeared, leaving Ardyn's ears at the mercy of her little noises and giggles.

There she was...

The little girl he and Somnus once used to play with during their childhood, now a grown woman.

She was more radiant than the flowers in her hair.

"Gods…" It was the only coherent word Ardyn could form as his heart skipped a beat. He felt like fainting.

"Right?" Somnus snickered, also admiring the work of art before his eyes while he dragged his brother out from their hiding spot. "She certainly blossomed!"

"And then some…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing!" Ardyn blinked, pinching the bridge of his nose to snap out the daze of being twitterpated.

While trying to compose himself, he ignored the rest of Somnus's ramblings and didn't notice Aera and two other girls heading straight for them.

Dumbfounded couldn't quite summarize what Ardyn felt as Aera stood a few feet away from him, but it was the closest word he had. She had been adorable as a child, but never in a million years did he imagine himself growing weak in the knees at her mere presence as adults. This power she unknowingly had over him scared Ardyn. At the same time, he wanted to drown in it. To drown in her, however she would hold space for him.

"Whaat? Say something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

Ardyn was hypnotized by her mouth and the way her eyes glimmered against the nearby candles, making his brain glitch as he stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. It was only when Somnus gave him a painful nudge to his ribs did he snap out of it.

"P-pretty girl!" Ardyn blurted out, his cheeks turning deep red as the other women at Aera's side covered their mouths in a poor attempt to hide their laughs. He cleared his throat, giving a slight bow with his head toward Aera out of respect in a vain attempt to regain composure and formality.

"Apologies, Lady Fleuret," Ardyn said gently. As he straightened up, his eyes met hers, and he felt his knees wanting to buckle again. He hid his nervousness with a sincere smile and sighed contentedly. "It's not every day I get to gaze upon one so enchanting. Time has been quite generous to you. It's an honor to see you after all these years."

"And you as well, Ardyn. For all counts!" Aera giggled, smiling sincerely at him.

"That does warm the heart. Considering as I recall having to put both you and Somnus on time outs for being little devils." Ardyn playfully quipped.

"I never held that against you! You were doing us both a favor in the grand scheme of things." Aera laughed. Her eyes seemed to grow with fascination as she looked him over, her smile widening. "I've truly missed you, Ardyn. I feel fortunate that the gods decided our families were to meet again."

Damn the gods right now...Ardyn thought. However, if the gods could stop time and let them be the only two souls on Eos for five minutes, Ardyn would have willed it into existence. Especially with the way she looked at him—not as a boy, not as the next king of Lucis, but as a man she obviously admired.

And just like that, the memory faded—filed away into the back of his subconscious as Ardyn blinked. The Imperial Banquet—one of Niflheim's finest events—seeped back into his reality.

Ardyn clutched the stem of his wine glass while he watched men and women dance the night away. He wasn't one to feel envious, but a deep yearning stirred in his heart as he envisioned that night he became reacquainted with Aera and how their bodies danced as one. Despite Somnus's meddling and his own failed attempts to woo her, she had chosen Ardyn to take the lead and guide her. As if the gods had ordained it so.

He pressed the glass to his lips, gulping down the wine as if consuming poison with great reverence.

If he could destroy Eos a million times over to dance with Aera—to feel again—he'd gleefully purge every last soul his eyes settled on.

If you like my work and feel generous, feel free to donate to my ko-fi account or my cash app account!