Lunafreya Nox Fleuret | The Oracle (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sacredrites) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
pastorella2017-01-11 12:37 am
sacredrites) wrote in pastorella2017-01-11 12:37 am
( closed ) Schmoopy Lunyx things
Who: Luna and Nyx
What: A wild adventure
Where: literally all over Eos
Warnings: NSFW
timeline of events:
» meeting
» party saving
» separation thanks to the fall of Insomnia
» blissful reunion after Luna dies and comes back
» that one moment where they kinda kissed a few weeks after Noctis started his nap and her bro died
» darkness bonding times for Lunyx - great for UST
» failed meeting resulting in a little TLC
relevant gifs: i | ii | iii | iv | v | vi | vii | nsfw plurk image dump
What: A wild adventure
Where: literally all over Eos
Warnings: NSFW
timeline of events:
» meeting
» party saving
» separation thanks to the fall of Insomnia
» blissful reunion after Luna dies and comes back
» that one moment where they kinda kissed a few weeks after Noctis started his nap and her bro died
» darkness bonding times for Lunyx - great for UST
» failed meeting resulting in a little TLC
relevant gifs: i | ii | iii | iv | v | vi | vii | nsfw plurk image dump
yes pls
This cannot be.
He'd done this with the intent of revealing his secret to her at the party. Where she couldn't have an outburst for fear of destroying the fragile foundation the treaty was being built upon. She wouldn't have time to warn anyone before the coming storm. They were walking into a possible massacre and there's nothing she can do to help King Regis. It's one of her worst fears realized. She was powerless to help and it was debilitating.
Ardyn's grip tightens and for a moment, she's not sure why. Until she hears a voice cutting through the pounding in her ears. There's a noticeable pause before her attention fixes on the source of the voice - the bodyguard. Nyx... Nyx Ulric. Yes, he was someone she could trust, perhaps. And he was coming to her rescue. Was it so obvious that she was in trouble? Would others notice around the party?
The rapid fire of thoughts are cut off as she takes the note with her free hand, clutching it tightly before attempting to remove herself from Ardyn's touch. ]
Yes, thank you. I must see to this immediately Chancellor, please excuse me.
[ Oil drips from her captor's tone, steel grip preventing her from moving any further. He tries to take the note, assuring her that it can't be as important as the coming dawn for Insomnia due to the peace treaty. Luna's fairly certain she's about to collapse, the hand with the note reaching out to take Nyx's arm. It's like a breath of fresh air when she makes contact, enough that she's able to find the strength to break out of Ardyn's grasp fully. Despite her best efforts, she can't stop her body from the soft tremors washing over her. Of course, in the moment she allows herself to re-capture her breath and excuse herself again, there's the sting of his touch brushing against her arm - attempting to take hold of it again.
She knows that if he can take hold of her again, she'll jeopardize everything but she'll have to protect herself. Shield against him to keep herself upright. While she didn't fear death, her journey was only truly beginning. She had a duty to fulfill and she wasn't going to allow Ardyn to be the cause of her fall. ]
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He manages it with a nod that comfortably straddles the line between necessary deference and polite indifference, his greeting to Niflheim's chancellor schooled.]
Chancellor Izunia.
[... He manages it, but barely. His instincts are prickling, stirred to life by the subtle cues coming off both parties--the way the Chancellor has his fingers locked about her arm, the way he flippantly tries to intercept Nyx's "message" in a move that'd be unforgivably impertinent if done by anyone else in Insomnia. Or the way the princess in turn holds onto the paper the way drowning men hold onto floatation devices, looking for all the world like Ardyn is the riptide pulling her down.
Nyx risks a glance at her, at her bloodless features. He doesn't miss her trembling and he'd bet the Chancellor doesn't, either. What the hell did he just walk into?
He's here to protect the king and his company, not get involved in Nif politics--it's what Drautos would say if he could, it's all but what he'd tried to say before news of Crowe hit--but then Lunafreya's reaching for his arm instead, desperate enough to forgo all the usual etiquette between guest and guard, and Nyx already knows what he's going to do before he does it.]
Excuse me.
[His dismissal follows hers--firmer, a clean cut, denying the Chancellor an invitation to follow in one seamless move, turning on his heel to put Lunafreya on his left and the Chancellor slightly behind him on his right. Ardyn would be ballsy to try reaching around a glaive while he's leading the princess off--he's almost sorry the Chancellor doesn't make the attempt.
When they're far enough away that they can speak without being overheard, Nyx risks another glance.]
What was that all about? [And secondly:] Are you all right?
[Because she sure doesn't look it. Even for dealing with Ardyn Izunia, her reaction is a bit more than he would've expected.]
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Luna tries to not hold onto Nyx as though her life was dependent upon his support, but it's difficult. Part of her just wants to collapse, not move for a week or so... But that isn't going to be possible. There was too much that needed to be done tonight before they moved forward with the treaty signing. If Ardyn was hosting a daemon and was allowed anywhere near the King without his standard protection detail, it could be a disaster. This city could be leveled by dawn of the following day, another Kingdom claimed through bloodshed and blight.
She breaks away from Nyx, pressing her back against a nearby wall as she lightly holds her left hand over her right arm. The pain wasn't subsiding quickly, significant enough that she doesn't speak for a long moment. The chill of the wall is refreshing on her back, swallowing hard as she tries to organize her thoughts. ]
It was nothing, I will be fine. [ Yes, that's believable with how she's still shaking and clutching her arm as though she'd been burned. ] I need to speak with King Regis immediately.
[ And to prove just how important it is to her, she tries to push herself off the wall - step faltering for a moment, settling roughly back against it with a wince.
Perhaps another minute before she attempts that again. ]
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Right. That's why a friendly chat over the canapes has Her Highness looking white as a sheet? I don't know who you're trying to convince, but I'm not buying it.
[Candid, maybe, but that's Nyx for you; they don't put him on these details for his timid personality. He glances behind him, a quick check to make sure their corner of the reception is still secluded. He can only hope no one is paying too close attention to a common glaive leading Tenebrae's princess around by the arm or he's going to get an earful for leaving his post to play personal escort.
And she has her own image to maintain, he'd bet. The last minute has only made him more convinced everything isn't what it seems within the Niflheim party.]
You know, that wasn't really an answer.
[Light. Deceptively casual. His gaze betrays just how closely he's watching her, though, following her aborted attempt to catch her breath. A glaive's job is to protect the king. If he accepted every request for an audience without a reason, he wouldn't be very good at it.]
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And while she appreciates his bluntness, it's not something she wants to deal with right now. Yes, he's doing his job and without an explanation, it will be difficult to convince him to allow her access to a man she just met with earlier that day.
There's a boisterous laugh from across the room as Ardyn recalls a story to a few of his fellow Niflheim elite, Luna uncaring if the joke is at her expense. She was used to it, the treatment never having been kind when it came to her. Like a second class citizen without a kingdom to truly call her own. She did not want to see Insomnia fall to the same fate as Tenebrae and countless other cities.
Luna manages a shake of her head, not buying just how even his tone is. It's familiar, though it's missing the usual air of menace that accompanied it depending on the source. ] I can't-- [ Her words are cut off with another wince. If a member of the Kingsglaive learns what happened, they'd be obligated to raise the alarm. Her own gaze finally scans the area around them, fear and pain still etched into her features. ] Please can you get me to the King without calling attention to it? It's a matter of utmost importance.
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It's a small thing; a trinket, really. Nothing to someone of her wealth and class. But she'd said she'd keep it, and she has. And Regis--Regis had practically offered to cut her strings and let her slip out of Lucis undetected, and she'd refused to keep the army off Noctis' tail. Three days ago he'd given little thought to the Tenebrae-born princess, but those two moments--those two glimpses into a set of more earnest innerworkings than he'd have guessed--have sparked something. If he had to put a name to it, he'd call it regard. It makes him want to like her.
That's a dangerous concept when it's starting to feel like he can't put his faith in anything that's happened since the ceasefire. Nyx frowns, unable to hide a flicker of concern when she winces again. (Once more with feeling: what the hell did he just walk into?)]
He's busy with Emperor Aldercapt. I have orders not to disturb him unless it's an emergency, and more orders not to let there be any emergencies.
[Even so, it's not a no, exactly. He's listening. And he believes her--the fear burning in her eyes is too real and raw to fake. But he needs something before he throws a grenade on the king's already tight schedule after overstepping on Ardyn.]
Give me a reason why Niflheim's Chancellor would want to rattle your cage here of all places.
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A part of her wonders how her leaving at the King's request might have changed the outcome of this evening. Her missing presence would have been noted and it could have thrown this already fragile call for peace aside like a battered doll. Of course, the peace would have been far more believable a few minutes ago. Now, she's almost grateful she'd stayed given what she's learned.
Frustration escapes through her lips in a soft sigh, knowing she can't interrupt that meeting without an upfront explanation. Odds were Emperor Aldercapt was well aware of Ardyn's true nature. She couldn't let them know she'd found out, unsure if the move was simply Ardyn showing off or something fouler orchestrated from the very top. ]
I see.
[ She lets her head dip for a moment as she weighs the possible outcomes of her next move, not sure she has much of a choice to do otherwise. Her voice is barely above a whisper, eyes pleading with him to hear her out. ] I am trusting you with something that cannot leave this conversation until I've spoken with the King and informed him of the situation. [ And with that, she unclasps the choker around her neck, allowing the right half to slip through its binding that connects it to the sleeve. The decorative piece slides down her arm, revealing pulsing black veins decorating her skin when Ardyn had touched her. ] Wha-- [ She hadn't expected to find a visual manifestation of her pain, panic flooding her system. She tries to touch it, the decorative sleeve slipping further down as she flinches from the pain. It's hard to keep her tone even as her eyes lock with Nyx's. ] There is something wrong with the Chancellor, though I am unsure of how deep his corruption runs and if it spans beyond him into the upper echelons of the Empire that are in attendance for tomorrow's ceremony.
Please, I need to see the King. I have never experienced anything comparable to this.
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There's a feeling creeping down Nyx's spine, an impression that if he hadn't intervened when he had it would've been worse for somebody. He's just not sure who yet.
In response to her insistence on confidentiality, he cycles through answers--a conceding fine, all right to a more wry secrecy is kind of our specialty--mostly because it's difficult to know what to say when he doesn't yet know what he's saying it in reference to. Brows drawn into a flat line, he settles on:]
What situation?
[While he's still forming the last vowel, she's reaching for her clothing. Whoa, whoa, okay, okay. The press would get a field day out of this if they could see this now. Wardrobe malfunction on eve of signing ceremony. Ardyn wouldn't have to create a scene to make headlines, the tabloids would do it for him.
The princess seems just as surprised as him at what happens next. Her outfit falls away to expose an ugly black rash, scrawling the length of his arm, and Nyx can't hide the flare of surprise that widens his eyes and loosens his stance.]
What is that? ["Corruption," she says.] Tell me it's not what I think it is.
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She calms enough to try and slide the sleeve back up her currently useless arm and into place, knowing she couldn't walk through the party with so much as a stitch out of place. Then, the rumors wouldn't be circulating the tabloids. Instead, there'd be a chance that Nyx could lose his position and her reputation would be smeared beyond repair - the Niflheim Empire stating the Oracle sabotaged the treaty on the even of its signing by having a tawdry affair with a Kingsglaive Soldier. ]
Whatever you think it may be will need to wait until after I've spoken with the King. I do not want to jump to a conclusion that may be unsubstantiated. [ And there's Gentiana again, soothing and steadying as though she was at her side - walking her through what she needed to do. It's a strong enough presence that Luna has to close her eyes for a moment to keep from crying as she borrows strength that isn't her own. She almost succeeds at keeping the tears at bay, one escaping when her eyes flutter open and she tries at moving her sleeve again. The pain is still crippling when she makes direct contact with the stain. ] I can't-- [ You are not alone echoes once more in her mind, eyes locking onto Nyx. ] Would you assist me? I cannot go back into the party with this exposed.
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[Voice little more than a rumble, he's already moving closer for a better look before she can ask, despite instinct telling him to get away from the dark discoloration. It's the same battle instinct that sends a soldier ducking just as a daemon's jaws close around the space above their head.
Were this any other context, and she any other woman, a good-looking girl taking her clothes off would be cause for a much different set of emotions than the unease creasing the area around his mouth with frown lines. But the only thing he's feeling is a cold horror, melting somewhat under the heat of a kindling anger that someone's in this much agony under his watch. He's supposed to be guarding these people. He's supposed to be guarding her.]
The only thing I've seen come close to this are injuries in daemon attacks.
[If he squinted, the black marks might look like a tattoo design--but that's no ink. Even as Nyx speaks, even as disbelief twists his words, he has a sinking feeling he already knows what she means by "corruption."
His gaze flicks up, noting the evidence of her pain slip through and dampen a trail down her cheek. Frown hardening, he breaks eye contact. It takes all of his will not to pivot around and drag Ardyn out of the hotel by the ends of his gaudy scarf. In contrast to the roughness of his hands from years of battle, his touch in reattaching her dress is gentle.]
I can get the king. You need a healer.
[Maybe it's a stupid thing to say to the Oracle, who's supposed to be the best healer in the world, but he forgets all the hats she wears. Right now she doesn't look like an Oracle, or a princess. She looks like a girl, afraid and fighting back tears.]
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A daemon attack would be impossible within the safety of the city. [ Even as she says it, the more plausible it sounds. It tightens something in the pit of her stomach, taking a moment to compose herself as she fails to swallow back a hiss of pain at the movement. His touch is surprisingly gentle, yes, but she is also more sensitive than she should be.
She takes a breath and the urge she'd tampered back resurfaces. She reaches out, a hand falling on his side as he finishes refastening her necklace. Her head moves to rest against his shoulder, allowing him further access to the back of her neck. It's inappropriate, but by the gods, it's nice. This is the most secure she's felt in a long time and given how uncertain her future was... Sometimes it was best to take comfort in some of the smallest things in life. ]
No, not yet. I need to speak with the King before any other arrangements are made. I cannot be missing from the party long enough for someone to notice. [ Of course she worries about appearances rather than her own well being, though as she speaks she's not pulling away. Even if she should. And it's probably for the best as her body slumps slightly before she can find her footing. ] I just... I just need a moment to gather myself.
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A couple of minutes ago, I would've said you walking out of the celebration with that-- [As he speaks, he gestures at what the glossy silver of her dress is hiding, whatever it really is. Whatever about it makes the skin at the back of his neck prickle.] --was unlikely. I'm starting to feel I'm five steps behind whatever's really going on here. The Chancellor wouldn't risk an incident without a reason.
[It's deliberate, the way he doesn't touch her with the finger he points with, the way he starts to shift back to reclaim distance. If someone were to see them having their own private tête-à-tête, they'd start asking questions and Nyx has enough of his own he's biting back, like what that black stuff is doing on her at all.
He's not expecting her to lean in as he leans out and, thinking it might be another case of lightheadedness, his hand goes to her other shoulder, holding her should she waver off-balance. He squeezes lightly. A command he's done a poor job of following comes to mind: Your orders are to protect her.]
How bad is it? Be honest.
[And don't tell him it's nothing--there's no point in her talking to His Majesty if she blacks out before she gets there.]
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[ That is all the confirmation she'll give on that, still unsure of why exactly he chose to do this tonight of all nights, outside of a test or having expected a different result. She breathes him in unintentionally, brows knitting at the squeeze following his touch. It was kinder than she'd expected, kinder than she was used to. But, a moment was all she needed - a soft glow surrounding her for a moment before she pulls away fully. Yes, this would be highly improper if witnessed, not that she thought about Nyx in such a way right now. ]
I will be fine. I swear it.
[ Clearing her throat, her mask falls into place - the same one she uses in all political encounters. The same one that hides any pain she might feel after healing a few too many people because they'd been in far more need than she for relief. It's a mask of strength even if she feels as though she might fall apart at the slightest burst of wind. ]
Please, I must speak with the King.
[ Does she sound like a broken record yet? ]
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He thinks the king would want her safe, regardless of whether Nyx had to cause a scene removing her from the evening's ceremony to do it. The way Regis had looked at her in the throne room--it hadn't been the look of a king to foreign royalty. More like a father to a daughter, or something like it.
But in the end, it's the king needing protection that ultimately tips Nyx's hand. If Ardyn could do this to the princess, he could do this to Regis.
That can't happen.
He isn't any more convinced Lunafreya's all right after she works some kind of unfamiliar magic than he had been before, but he still steps back, following suit to let her stand on her own. He nods, jaw set, acknowledgement and agreement all in one. The king is first priority, they're both agreed on that.]
Follow me.
[The Caelum Via had been reserved specifically for this event; the only people present tonight are authorized guests, bringing the normally bustling luxury hotel down to a skeleton crew. He knows where to take her that only security and staff have access to. Leading the way through a side door, he brings her through a seating area. Another door takes them into a lounge, empty aside from the two of them so that their voices reverberate oddly in the vaulted space.]
This room's sectioned off; no one's going to come looking here unless they're one of us. [Like Ardyn.] Wait here. I'll talk to His Majesty.
[Nyx is just a glaive. The king is the one with the authority to pepper Lunafreya and Ardyn with the questions Nyx badly wants to ask.]
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As they move through the party, she can feel Ardyn's eyes on her, fairly certain that he knew where they were going. She can't help but fear that this had been part of his plan, why he'd chosen tonight of all nights to test her strength. Was it a test of the security? The loyalty of the Glaives? A test of her loyalty to Noctis and seeing this treaty succeed?
They're at the lounge before she realizes, nodding at Nyx's words. It isn't long before Luna's ushered in by the King himself, Regis removing everyone else from the room once the gravity of the situation is confirmed by Luna. A request is made of Nyx to fetch a Tenebrae-trained healer and bring them back, theories echoing in the room as Regis ushers Luna to a chair. Questions are asked that Nyx may have wanted the answers to, but there'd been a reason Regis had cleared the room and sent Nyx out. By the time Nyx and the healer get back, the sleeves are once again off - both discarded in an empty chair nearby. The movement had been just as painful as before, Regis apologizing as he inspects the wound with his own eyes. If Nyx listens closely he might hear Regis whisper that he won't let this destroy her the way the darkness had afflicted his son.
The strength she'd summoned to prove to Nyx she'd been capable of standing on her own has drained from her body with the pain, once again biting back tears. It doesn't get any easier when the highly trained healer arrives, attempting a few different techniques to draw some out of the darkness - standard spells used on those that had returned from a battle injured by a daemon. The last one earns a sob of pain from the Princess, knuckles turning white against the arms of the chair. Regis puts an immediate stop to the attempts, pulling the healer aside to hold a hushed conversation about what could be done to help her. Luna's earlier attempts to hold back the tears finally fail her, a few escaping as pain curls through her body leaving her feeling sick from the pure evil infesting her veins. It left her feeling helpless and exhausted, a dangerous combination on the eve of such a momentous occasion. ]
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The expression that hardens the king's features into granite is a terrible thing to behold up close.
Nyx is relieved in his own right to be sent off for a healer; privately, he doesn't know how long Lunafreya can stay standing without medical attention. She'd put on a good face, but he'd seen her when Ardyn had a hold of her. The tremor in the fine muscles of her back and legs. The hastily brushed-off tears.
Even more privately, he thinks the decision not to act on the Chancellor right away is a wrong one, but he shuts his mouth. And manages to keep it shut remarkably well throughout the next twenty odd minutes for how close he comes to telling the healer he fetches to stop as the attempt at removing the corruption leaves the girl shaking in her chair like a prisoner after a round of enhanced interrogation. His fists clench ineffectually in white-knuckled mimicry of hers.
Watching makes Nyx feel uncomfortably like a voyeur to her pain. Still, he doesn't look away. Any time their gazes meet, he holds it, silently encouraging, willing her the strength to keep going. A second longer. A minute longer. Just to hold on until the worst is passed.
In the reprieve, he acts before he thinks, breaking from his stance behind the king to get a glass of water and kneel beside her chair with it. The black brand demands attention, but he can't seem to look anywhere else besides her face. She looks younger now than ever before, too young to be this ashen and bone-weary.]
Hey, you did good.
[Where did that come from? It takes Nyx a moment to realize he's thinking of Selena every time she'd gotten sick or hurt, fighting back tears to take a needle prick or get a bone reset. He curls the princess' fingers around the water glass before he can give that thought too much attention.]
Is it any better?
[The answer feels obvious before he asks, but he asks anyway.]
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By the time Nyx comes over to Luna with the water, Regis has called in Clarus to bring him up to speed - hushed whispers that the Captain will also need to be briefed but it can't go beyond that if they want to keep it secure. Only the most trusted could be brought in on this. She feels as though she's on display, at least until a shadow is cast across her body - a calm voice breaking through the blood pounding in her ears.
Luna shakes herself a little out of the shock trying to control her body at the feeling of Nyx's touch, grateful for the coolness of the glass. She shifts a little in the chair to a more upright position, bringing the water to her lips for a long moment - savoring in the crisp taste. There's a temptation to be honest with him, to whisper the truth under her breath and confide in that gentle tone. But, she can't. She'd already exposed enough weakness to those within the room and if Regis was bringing more of his inner circle into the mix, she couldn't remain this way. She shifts again, setting the glass on the table nearby. Her hand moves to wipe at her face, swallowing the pain telling her to restrict the motion. She dries her face, letting her hand fall to rest on her lap - brushing it gently on the fabric of her dress. The emotional mask she'd developed around the Empire slowly slips back in place, clearing her throat. ]
I shall persevere, thank you for your assistance.
[ It's not a lie, she'll eventually heal. It just won't be a quickly as she'd hoped given the results of the healer. She'd been trained in Tenebrae, but this seemed to be a corrupted form of what they normally dealt with. Perhaps even something far older than some might remember. Her lips frown as she overhears Regis mention something about keeping her within the confines of the hotel, almost flinching at the mention of locked doors. Thankfully they were interrupted by the arrival of the Captain of the Kingsglaive, Luna suddenly feeling self-conscious with how exposed she was. She felt almost as though he could bore a hole into her soul. Drautos doesn't stop to see the King, instead making a pissed off beeline right for her and Nyx. ]
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It's frustrating to feel somewhat out of the loop, but no worse than what Lunafreya must be feeling, and having a moment alone gives him the chance to check on the princess personally. So much for superior Tenebraen healing skills--she looks like crap. Crap with a poker face, but crap all the same.]
It was nothing. I would've faked an emergency sooner if I'd known the Chancellor was doing more than throwing his weight around. You know--
[He's still kneeling, putting them on a level, the easier to read in her eyes what she's not saying in so many words (that flinch gets filed away, though he doesn't immediately make the connection with the cause), and that's how Drautos finds him when the heavy double doors swing open.
Instantly, Nyx is on his feet. He knows that look. He steels himself for the other shoe to drop.]
Sir--
[A hand on his shoulder gives him him no time to finish, propelling him away from Lunafreya's chair into an unoccupied part of the room, scarcely a pause between Drautos laying eyes on him and pouncing. I thought your orders were clear or did you not hear me--
The words, delivered with a calm mercilessness that suggests someone is about to get a chewing out before all else is said and done, fall out of earshot after that. Nyx shoots her a resigned look before settling in for the inevitable lecture. Do they really have time for this?]
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She knows people believe her to be in the pocket of the Empire, their puppet to parade around as they see fit... But she's so much more. If they only knew what she fought to keep behind closed doors, out of the public eye as she worked to inspire hope and dreams of peace.
When Drautos starts laying into Nyx, she refocuses her attention on the verbal assault. Before Regis can step in and before she can stop herself, she stands and levels him with a look. A look that would later cost her dearly. ] Captain, thank you for your concern but I hardly think this is necessary at this precise moment. He saved my life and I--
[ Regis is quick to slip in, a hand falling under Luna's elbow to ensure she remains steady on her feet with the caring touch of a father. His soothing words smooth any feathers that might've been ruffled before returning his attention to Nyx as the healer picks up the discarded sleeves of her dress. There's another change in everyone's positioning, Regis moving to block Luna as the healer re-attached the pieces with a delicate touch. Luna tries to bite back the pain, a soft cry escaping - similar to the sound she'd made when Nyx had performed the same task. Her steps falter slightly, Regis spinning in time to keep her upright.
There's a room prepared for you within the safety of the hotel, my dear. I leave you in the capable hands of Captain Drautos and Nyx Ulric, they will ensure your safety. Trust no others for now. ] And what of-- [ Regis interrupts her query, aware of the question attempting to escape her lips and the way a hint of fear rests behind her eyes. I will address any concerns brought up in regard to your disappearance. A healer will stop by in the morning to see if there are any changes to the injury. And with another look, directed at either Nyx or Titus, he gestures for someone to take his place at her side. ]
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Your Highness, you should be resting--
[Thankfully, though King Regis seems painfully slow to intercede over the daemon threat under their literal and figurative roof, he's swift where Lunafreya is concerned. Nyx relents, deferring to his care. Still, the stifled sound of pain is audible--and he's not the only left frowning at it.
Glancing over, he locks gazes with Captain Drautos who wears a similar expression, mouth pinched at the corners. In that look is a promise to say no more for the time being. For the time being. Nyx knows better than to think the captain will forget about this conversation forever. For now, though, there's mutual agreement; they each have jobs to do.
Both bow their heads at the implicit command. Nyx, being closer, spares a last glance for the captain before stepping up to offer his arm in place of the king's with the same formality he'd done so at the party. It gives him a chance to open his mouth before anyone can stop him. It's a long time in coming. He's been more patient the decision to entertain the peace talks than most, if not all, of the remaining glaives. And this isn't just about their homes outside the Wall--it's about Nifs and the new found danger they've proven they pose.]
Shouldn't we at least be detaining Chancellor Izunia? Your Majesty can't be expected to sign a peace treaty when we don't know what he's really capable of.
[The answer is simple, much as Nyx internally chafes under the clear, composed gaze of the Lucian king. Their fate, all of their fates, the fate of Lucis--they won't be decided with a retaliatory strike.
A bigger picture. The long con. Nyx understands, even if he doesn't like it.
That feeling of wrongness is as acute as ever.]
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She returns a look to Nyx, biting back the 'I'm fine' resting on the tip of her tongue. It would be a blatant lie and this was one of the few places she wouldn't be able to get away with it.
Luna takes the offered arm with her good one once the healer's done and the King has said his piece, relying on him a little more on him than she should in such company. Nyx asks the question that Luna had been expecting to be thrown into the room, an answer following the King's from her. ]
I was not meant to accompany the Chancellor and other Dignitaries to the treaty signing. The plans were changed last minute to include me and I fear this may have also been included in the changes. The Chancellor is calculating, he might be expecting an alarm to be raised. [ A beat. ] And as I answer to Niflheim for the moment, the King cannot act on actions they take against me on this of all evenings.
[ It's said more for Nyx than Regis, sure he's thought of something similar. Drautos confirms the last of what she says, not that Luna truly hears the words. Her time at the hands of the Empire had been anything but pleasant, the events of tonight not the worst of it... Not that she was about to volunteer such information in the already tense climate. ]
If you have no other requirements of me this evening, I would like to retire and allow myself a chance to recover as much strength as possible in light of the events tomorrow hold.
[ Regis gives a small nod, attention turning to Nyx as he gives him a room key and number. The King asks Drautos to remain behind a moment in case there are any unkind eyes, the Oracle being escorted by both a Glaive and their Captain enough to raise suspicion. Luna gives Regis a soft thank you, still holding onto Nyx for support, unsure she'd make it to the room walking on her own. ]
no subject
... Fine. Whatever you say.
[He means it as a neutral-sounding submission, splitting a glance between King Regis and Princess Lunafreya and nodding sharply once to show he's not about to fight the decision, but he's afraid it comes out more passive aggressive than he'd intended.
Well, can he really blame himself? So much of these peace talks have stunk of political double-dealing, and his fond feelings toward the Chancellor are at an all-time low, to say the least. He shuts his mouth.
One thing they can all agree on (except, perhaps, Lunafreya herself): the princess needs somewhere safe and quiet. They leave first, with one last shared look with Drautos that Nyx has a difficult time deciphering as he turns with Lunafreya a solid weight on his arm. What does the captain think? How much of Ardyn had he seen at the party? Making a mental note to try and ask him later, Nyx opens the lounge door to see them out. The hallway beyond is empty, and Nyx has a mind to keep it that way, taking a less direct route back to her quarters where they're not as likely to meet with company.
Unsure what he can say that wouldn't be demanding more answers or action be taken, Nyx falls silent, letting his focus go to keep Lunafreya upright and moving.]
no subject
Rather than adding to the already high tension in the room, she remains quiet - happy to be escorted out. Questions about her absence were going to be handled and that's all she could focus on right now, rather than plying Regis further with details, reminding him inadvertently of what her life had become over the past twelve years. If she had the strength to waylay the concerns herself, go back out and safely mingle before slipping away for the evening she would... But, with how heavily she was relying on Nyx for support, that wouldn't be able to happen. Not without raising more concerns than necessary. Ripples were already working through the pond, she had no interest in adding more.
Luna is grateful that the hallway is empty, letting out an audible sigh of relief. It seems to echo in the space, an interruption to the rhythm of their steps and the click of her heels against the flooring. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, Luna taking the time to let the thoughts turn over in her mind and strategies to start forming just in case the King isn't truly able to keep her safe. Because-- ]
I will be required to return to them at some point.
[ She didn't mean to say it aloud, voice barely above a whisper. In the chaos of the situation, it would seem she never received an answer to her unasked question. When the treaty was signed, if it was signed, there would be a period of adjustment and she wouldn't be able to stay in Insomnia indefinitely. Not if she wished to fulfill her sacred duties and help those that need it most. Her actions often left her weak and vulnerable, if Niflheim wished to have her back, they would see to it... Assuming her return wasn't a contingency to both parties signing the treaty.
Would the consequences of her actions negatively impact the peace of those around her? Or was this a calculated move by the Empire to sabotage the treaty? Her steps halt, straightening her back and steeling herself to deal with the possible argument she would get in response to what she was about to say. ]
I must go back to the party. I cannot stay the night here, there is too much it could impact.
[ Sorrynotsorry Nyx, apparently escorting the Oracle to her designated room won't be a cake walk. ]
no subject
He can't stop thinking about those marks. Daemon corruption. It's almost too much to believe after everything that's led up to these treaty negotiations.
And Ardyn Izunia. A man who'd had the Oracle almost collapsed in agony after a single touch. Just who the hell were they dealing with?]
--What now?
[The whisper has to travel a long mile through dense brooding territory before Nyx processes what she's saying. It takes a moment, since he thinks she can't possibly mean what he thinks she means. That she wants to turn around and go back. At some point isn't tonight, when she's still being affected by whatever is burrowing under her skin, when this detente between Lucis and Niflheim is hanging on a knife's edge.
His brows become an unbending line about the same time her back does. She can't be serious.]
You want to go back out there like nothing happened? Not happening. You heard the king. [Unsaid goes the deeper emphasis you heard him and so did I. Nyx doesn't like this anymore than she does, but the king had made himself clear. And Lunafreya... Lunafreya's in no position to be putting herself in the crossfire for the second time in a single night.] The Chancellor of Niflheim all but attacked you in the middle of Insomnia. The last thing you should be doing is changing up the plan in the middle of the king's play.
HELLO
I am not a pawn. Not for the King and not for Niflheim. [ There's an edge to her voice, betraying her lack of confidence in her words. She's been a pawn since she was a child and she'd placed herself in that position in the name of protection of her people. She was a doll to be paraded around and touted as a prized possession of the Empire.
And right now, this pawn wasn't thinking straight. ]
I cannot ask him or any of those he trusts to put themselves into further harm. [ Her gaze softens as she finally looks at Nyx, a strange flutter starting in the pit of her stomach she quickly ignores. There'd been rumors of hero worship when someone saves your life, but she refused to fall into that trap. ] You've already done so much. If I stay at the safety of your side much longer, I fear what fate might befall you or another in my stead. You've already done so much for me, I cannot ask you to risk more. [ She gives him a tired expression, a hand lightly reaching out to rest on his forearm. ] Do you truly believe the King's plan will work?
[ Because if it didn't, she'd pay a heavy price of carrying the burden of the losses and the ensuing punishment for her defiance... Though those who might die in the process would be a loss she'd never forgive herself for. With a sigh, she breaks the contact to turn her back to him for a moment, weighing her options. She'd already come this far, the least she could do is give the King her trust and have faith in her hope of a good outcome.
And by default, some of that trust goes into Nyx with the hope that he'll be honest with her - a thought that forces her to face him again and wait. ]