Prelude - Long March Home

[comesunset]

His Royal Highness, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, took the chance to step onto the streets of Lestallum without the constant company of his retainers. Verstael had gone wandering off in search of information on the next tomb - a researcher to the bone, even at twenty, a year Ardyn's junior - and Gilgamesh had gone to meet with the Crownsguard. There were few threats in the city, the largest outside Insomnia itself, and after shedding his royal blacks in favor of a more relaxed ensemble, Ardyn practically vanished into the crowd, notable only for his red hair, his height, and the scarf draped loosely around his neck.

Three Arms down, ten to go. And the Lucian countryside hid them well - they'd found a fourth tomb, but with its relic missing, and information from the hunters pointed to a ruin that Ardyn's Shield had turned their trio away from. Ardyn, for once, hadn't argued, feeling the potency of the daemons within in practically the air itself.

For now, he takes his break wandering the streets, picking up a set of skewers from one vendor, a pastry from another, a locally mixed lemonade from a third, and making his way down to the overlook. They've only been in Lestallum a week, and he's already growing fond of the benches there, the view out over the meteor crater. The sunset provides the perfect backdrop as he recalls his meal from its brief time in his Armiger, careful to keep the royal magic out of the sight of any passerby before settling in to people-watch. It's not like he's totally reckless, Gil.

Times like this, with the crowd of the power plant's shift change bustling around him, are the times he most feels like he can relax. Rather than being the Prince, just another face in the crowd... With a smile, Ardyn sips his lemonade before taking another bite of the skewer held idly in his left hand. So refreshing.

Comments

[comesunset]

Responsibility says sit down with the damage reports from Insomnia and try to get a better sense of exactly what is happening to my kingdom. Fun says 'go watch the chocobo races for a bit, perhaps with some company.

Most likely it will end a mix of both.

[discutio]

I'm surprised. That sounds practically reasonable.

[comesunset]

I don't know what's so surprising about it. Once more I must point out that the layabout prince is a cultivated reputation.

[discutio]

I find there's often some truth in even cultivated rumors.

[comesunset]

I practice responsible hedonism, dear Ignis.

[discutio]

...I don't believe there is such a thing, Your Highness.

[comesunset]

Then I've just invented it, clearly.

[discutio]

And I'm very sure that's not how that works.

[comesunset]

[The response is a pleased laugh.]

Well, it's hardly my fault a daemon stepped on the Insomnian patent office.

[discutio]

How incredibly convenient for you.

[comesunset]

Needed restructuring anyway.

[Is that a... yes.]

[discutio]

[ardyn]

I do presume it's far from the only thing. Perhaps the city needs a bit of an overhaul.

[comesunset]

[Come on, Ignis, (un)live a little.]

Oh, certainly. We're going to have to rebuild the government from scratch.

[discutio]

A difficult task, I'm sure.

[More so when they'd be doing it without a king.]

[...Weird. For just a second, Ignis felt something almost like sympathy.]

[comesunset]

[And Ardyn just... sighs.]

Truly you are a man without humor.

[discutio]

My sense of humor is fine, when the mood strikes.

[comesunset]

It seems as out of commission as our car at the moment. Did some drop ship run off with that, too?

[discutio]

Very well may have dropped it off elsewhere, in fact.

[comesunset]

Perhaps a bit of sidetracking from the Royal Arms is in order.

[discutio]

Oh, no need to go so far out of your way--I'm sure it'll turn up.

[comesunset]

But would you really do me the cruelty of not being the one to finally make you smile?

[discutio]

[And, wouldn't you know it, that actually got him to laugh.]

Are you so interested in me?

[comesunset]

Is it that surprising?

[Yes. Good gods yes.]

You are, after all, the perfect amount of mystery waiting to be unwrapped.

[discutio]

I'd not expect most to pursue a mysterious black-blooded stranger they know next to nothing about. Quite the opposite, in fact.

[comesunset]

You're interesting. And unlike so many other of the interesting people I've met since leaving Insomnia, you're not sending me off on a wild frog chase that I feel obligated to follow through on.

[He means the frog chase bit literally. Thanks, Professor.]

And yet you know exactly who I am, so there is no pressure of deception hanging over my head. I don't have to perform for you.

When one's life is a near-constant performance, a break such as that is shockingly refreshing.