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The attack had not come as a surprise. They had been traveling by chocobo back to the Regalia when Ignis had warned of the Imperial airship flying above them. Noctis sighed and got their feathery beasts to sprint off to safety while they prepared for another fight with mindless Magitek troopers again.
The Empire had been sending more and more of them out to attack them, but they had yet to really do much damage. The only major problem had been the drain on resources these fights had become.
Noctis summoned the Engine Blade and warped toward one of the assassins, dropping it instantly. The fight started to progress as they usually did, but then the enemy started to change tactics on them. He did not expect them to surround him instead of the usual spread out attack.
He tried to cut through a few more of the soldiers encircling him. He could hear Ignis shout a command to the other two to help as well, but his words did little good as the troopers’ behavior was so unexpected.
“Bring him back to the airship,” an order barked over the scuffling of the troopers' grinding armor.
Noctis spun around to try and find a way to get out of the tight circle around him, anywhere he could throw his blade for an escape warp. Then he felt something wrap around his arm and clamp down.
And it burned.
Looking up at the Magitek trooper in front of him, he noticed all of them had shackles of some sort in their hands. If the burn sensation crawling up his arm meant anything, he was doomed.
He gritted his teeth to try to hide how much of a reaction he was having to them, but then another set was clamped on his arm, intensifying the burn. A harsh yell ripped from his throat as he tried to twist away from the poisoned metal. The movement did nothing for him, only hurt his back at the unnatural movement.
The troopers easily manhandled him back toward the airship.
Still yelling as he felt his arms continue to burn, Noctis forced his leg up to kick one of the trooper's hands knocking the pair of shackles to the ground. He needed one of his friends to understand what kind of danger he was in.
---
Everyone knew the Caelum family was odd. Their eccentricities were remarked upon in history books going back to their founder king. Anyone who spent enough time with the family knew this. Most people dismissed it as a quirk of being royalty and usually accepted it without too much trouble.
Ravus knew this about the Caelum family, but he never forgave them for their eccentricities. He wondered if their strangeness had infected his homeland during their visit and forced it to burn all those years ago. He lost far more than just his mother in the attack on Tenebrae while the Caelum’s had fled back to their sheltered capital.
He didn’t understand most of what the Empire planned, especially when it involved the strange daemonic research headed by Versteal. And he certainly did not trust Chancellor Izunia with his quick words and flashier smile. Neither Versteal nor the Chancellor were men of their words, and the Emperor was a fool to trust them.
Though, the Emperor was also a fool to trust someone like him so high up in his army. And to allow a mercenary group such high rank as well.
The higher they fly, the harder they fall.
Ravus would watch this entire wretched system crash and burn.
First, though, he had to ensure his family would be protected before they pulled out the final pins holding everything together.
Still, when attending one of the dreadfully boring meetings with the military echelon along with Versteal and Izunia, Ravus happened to catch the name of the one family which drove him to such lengths.
“If you truly want an interesting time, catch yourself a Caelum. I assure you, you’ll learn a great deal about daemons, and how to utilize the Crystal’s power,” Izunia mused while looking at his nails.
Versteal looked over at the red head with narrowed eyes. “And how do you know this information? Are these reputable sources?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know? My sources are great and varied, and I suppose some might be considered reputable. . . should you ask the right people. Still, information is information, should you wish to use it. I am just the bearer of news,” Izunia replied with a wave of his hands.
The Emperor slammed his hand on the table to silence any reply from another person. “I tire of these games. You say a Caelum would be important to our goal with the Crystal? Then, one of you will get me a Caelum,” he replied in a voice that wavered and drifted among the group.
Ravus looked over at Aranea and narrowed his eyes. She pursed her lips and shook her head just a little before looking back at the other generals. This was not the time to bring up the Emperor’s growing insanity.
They only had one Caelum to catch, and they had been having a hard time tracking down Noctis Lucis Caelum in the wilds of Lucis ever since the fall of Insomnia.
“I was able to fight the Crown Prince at one of the blockades shortly after the battle of Insomnia. I shall take this task on with some specially trained Magitek to bring him in.” Loqi boasted.
Izunia leaned his elbow on the table and smiled at the youngest general the military had ever boasted. “Then I may have some special information for you, to assist in your grand search. My birdies, reputable or not, have some interesting ideas on how to best capture and hold a stubborn Caelum. If not, they are tricky folk, one should never trust one of their kind.”
Ravus listened to his words, and he wondered just what Izunia was really talking about. The Crystal only granted a few powers outside of the grand Wall they had already destroyed.
Right?
---
Once Noctis had been pushed into the airship, Loqi fully locked the two pairs of shackles on his arms. He had just managed to clamp his teeth together to keep the scream down, but he could see the blood slowly drip down his wrists.
His father had warned him about this. He had told him that the purer the metal, the worse the burn would be. How long would he have to wear these? Would he even have arms left when they decided to take them off? Now that his arms were slick with his own blood, he tried to twist his hands to wriggle through the shackles, but it only allowed the metal to find new flesh to start searing through.
He stopped his attempts to escape and slumped against the wall of the airship. Now that they were in the air, no one seemed to bother with him. The blood covered hands probably showed he was in no state to actually fight anyone. He just focused his breaths through his teeth, trying to keep any noises of pain from escaping from him.
Noctis had shown too much when he had started screaming at the first contact. The shock of the shackles had been too much for him. He had never experienced the sensation of this burn before, as no one had expected their enemies to use such a weapon.
Prompto didn’t even know about this problem yet. His other retainers only knew due to their lifelong loyalty to his family. So few people knew the closest held secret of the Caelum family.
The waves of pain eventually grew too much for him, and soon he slumped over to the side and passed out.
---
Ravus had been selected to assist Loqi with unloading Caelum once he had been reported captured. He could scarcely believe his ears that the young upstart had actually succeeded in his goal. Had the general actually managed to put together a competent plan, or had the prince managed to finally slip up in evading them?
Perhaps the Chosen King wasn’t all he was meant to be. Maybe this could be the key he needed to help convince Lunafreya to stop her gallivanting across the countryside to awaken the Astrals and drain her lifeforce. He just wanted to save what was left of his family. One day they could escape the ties of fate that bound them and live in peace.
He was a man of simple goals and overly complicated plans. He knew himself well.
The airship landing at the imperial base drew Ravus out of his thoughts and forced him to refocus on the events at hand. He had to see what state the Crown Prince would be in once they paraded him out. He drew out his sword to make sure he was ready to help subdue him from any lingering defiance.
He still remembered the fight over the Regalia at a similar base, and he refused to be stopped from taking his pint of blood from the impudent whelp.
Ravus did not expect the scene he got when the airship doors dropped.
The Magitek troopers propped up a barely conscious Caelum, who had his arms loosely held out in front of him. The prince’s hands were covered in a dark substance which slowly kept dripping down to the ground.
Only when he saw one of those drops actually hit the ground did he realize his hands were covered in his own blood. A significant amount of blood. No wonder Caelum was barely conscious. He could hardly put one foot in front of the other, the Magitek were practically frog marching him into the base by force.
What had Loqi done to brutalize their hostage? Was this the secret weapon Izunia had given him to ensure Caelum could not escape? Some sort of poison to bleed and weaken him? Or had Versteal found a way to use the daemons to destroy the flesh without infecting the host?
His jaw clenched, and he was about to follow the wounded prince’s entourage when he heard a smug laugh behind him.
“I know you didn’t think I could manage such a task. I’m glad to show everyone the Tummelt family is still one of the greatest in Niflheim,” Loqi laughed.
Taking a slow breath through his nose, Ravus nodded and spun slowly to look at his colleague in name only. “You are, indeed, a great asset to the Empire. How did you manage such a feat? I know few would have undertaken it due to the high risk of failure.”
The smooth words were just what Loqi needed to preen and smirk. “While I loath to admit it, the resources Izunia gave me proved most valuable. I did not know such restraints would prove so useful. As soon as they were properly utilized, why, the main task was making sure he got on the airship. Before then, I simply had to study his attack patterns to know the best way to separate him from the rest of his unit.”
Loqi had been rather ingenious with his planning. All military units had their predictable movements, and he had been patient. Ravus could see nothing to fault him. “Remarkable. The Emperor is sure to give you a commendation for this. The restraints, you said, came from the Chancellor? They look unfamiliar from the standard fair we use for prisoners. What makes these unique?”
“It’s curious, I found myself wondering the same thing. I did a material analysis during one of the more boring parts of the mission. There is no special substance on them or inside of them. They are simply pure iron shackles. I do not understand why they work so well, except for Izunia perhaps having a great understanding of the Crown Prince’s personal medical history,” Loqi confessed with a bored shrug.
“He must. What marvellous resources he must have to obtain such information. I shall let you go report your success to the Emperor. Please, know I am available should you have need,” Ravus replied with a small nod of his head.
Fortunately, he was left alone to really consider what he had learned. Iron restraints should not have caused that damage to anyone. Especially if there was nothing on the inside, but why did it look like the prince’s skin was being burned and eaten away?
He made a plan to wait till evening to check on their prisoner to see if he couldn’t get any more information, but in the meantime, he would do some research to see what he might learn about an iron allergy.
The research revealed a good amount, but also more questions than answers. He did learn someone could have an iron allergy, but the skin contact would not have the symptoms he had witnessed when they drug him toward a cell.
Then he saw such a fanciful search result he originally had passed it up. With nothing else to help him, Ravus clicked on the page and read through a page detailing a weakness of folklore creatures. He scoffed while he read before he got to the details about iron. Then he felt as if the world was slowly twisting around him.
Why had Izunia been so determined for them to capture the Crown Prince?
Why would the Caelum have such a unique associate with the Crystal, unlike any other family?
Ravus remembered everyone talking about the eccentricities of the family from the day they were truly known in the world. A family which had simply appeared in the history books as the Kings of Lucis, but with no other founding history.
His mind whirled with the possibilities. Everything seemed both possible and impossible.
A plan in his mind, as nonsensical as it truly was, Ravus got up and began to gather up supplies to test his theory. Though he felt a fool, he had nothing else to help him understand the information he had in front of him.
If he was right, and if he could save this Caelum, there was a chance his true power could help save his sister.
Once night had fallen, he made his way to the holding cell Caelum would be kept in. The troopers gave him no issue when he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Alone in the hallway, he slipped inside the cell to inspect the Crown Prince.
The figure inside was even more pitiful than before. Curled up and covered in his own blood, he was fully unconscious with his hands stretched out as far as possible from him. From the puddle underneath his hands, he had not moved from the moment he had been put down in the cell.
Ravus paused with his back against the door and just watched the barely moving chest. He had to make sure he was still alive with his own eyes. The form in front of him was just too sad. What use was this sort of carnage to the Empire?
Shaking his head of the traitorous thoughts, he realized none of the things he brought would be of much use. Except maybe the salt. So he slowly created a circle around Caelum before he crouched down beside him.
“What useless slaughter they have done to you today,” he mused while brushing back the dark locks from his sweaty forehead. The touch triggered no response from Caelum.
Sighing, Ravus remembered the few healing lessons he had had with Lunafreya, and he pulled out the rags and water he had managed to tuck away in his bag. Then he smirked and pulled out the lockpick he always kept in his coat pocket.
Due to the overwrought nature of the shackles on the prince’s wrists, Ravus had no problem finding the correct tumblers to press to unlock the first shackle. Once he managed to pry off the first of four bindings, he nearly wished he hadn’t.
The skin he exposed was ragged, revealing the layers of flesh beneath. He breathed slowly through his teeth to steady his stomach. He hoped this was something even his sister didn’t have to heal on her healing tours. With a still churning stomach, he pulled out a wet rag to try and salvage. . . something.
All he truly accomplished was a rag he would rather burn than let it come near his pristine coat. He clenched his jaw and instead focused on unlocking the other three bindings. If he could do nothing with water, then he would have to use the precious elixirs he had kept hidden to heal this damage.
The debt Caelum was going to owe him simply grew the longer he spent in this cell. He didn’t care if he was otherworldly or not, using several of his elixirs was going to cost him dearly.
Unlocking each part of the shackles, while easy, took precious time for Ravus. He kept checking the cell door just in case someone would check on the prisoner to see if he stirred. Why they hadn’t bothered to check his health status before now, he didn’t understand.
Once Caelum was fully free of the iron, he carefully picked up the bloody metal devices and laid them outside of the salt circle. He pulled out his elixirs and carefully started to drip the potent liquid over the ruined flesh to start the healing process. He mouthed a family prayer to help ease the healing.
He let out a sigh when he saw the layers of skin start to reform, first in messy patches and then a bit smoother. He could see the thick layers of scar tissue forming in a final memory of what the Empire had done to him. Even with the several elixirs he had used, a fine rash lingered along with the scars that stubbornly refused to fade.
Ravus leaned back on his heels to watch Caelum for a moment. Color came back to the pale cheeks, giving him a nearly angelic expression as a healing sleep settled on his body. He remembered the lessons Lunafreya had shared with him, on how important sleep was to a healing body, and he was loath to ignore her. They simply did not have the time to let the prince sleep if his plan had any hope of succeeding.
---
Noctis woke to the sensation of someone shaking his shoulder. That, and the sensation of everything in his body aching, primarily his wrists. He shook his head and curled back up trying to sleep more, but all he got was more intense shaking.
“Wake up, you brat. I do not have time for this,” the voice snapped.
The voice was unfamiliar and he opened his eyes to meet a mismatched pair. And then he took in the sheets of near white blond hair cascading around the face staring intently down at him.
“Ravus?” Noctis croaked before coughs overwhelmed his dry throat.
“Good to know you have yet to lose your faculties. We have little time and much to discuss. Water,” Ravus replied while thrusting a water bottle into his hands.
The prince took the water and stared down at the bottle. He did not know if he could trust this, but he was thirsty enough to take the chance. His throat and mouth appreciated the relief too much.
Once he drank his fill, Noctis looked up at Ravus once more, but then noticed his surroundings. “Where are we?”
“Imperial base in Lucis. Tummelt caught you; you should be embarrassed.”
“Tummelt- Loqi? What- those shackles!” Noctis jerked when he saw the bloody things on the ground behind Ravus. “Are you going to put those back on me?”
He started to move backwards from the iron bindings when his hands hit something else that sent a searing pain up his palm. “What is this place?” he hissed as he looked down at the salt circle he was trapped in.
Ravus didn’t answer right away as he looked at the reaction between him and the salt. “I thought that was the weakest idea. How curious. I wonder what else might be true,” he mused softly.
“Might be true about what?” Noctis spat. “Is this just a game to you?”
“Someone in the Empire seems to know a lot about your family. Specifically how to make sure you couldn’t resist capture. Why would you have such a strong reaction to iron?” the Commander asked while leaning in closer to the prince.
Noctis felt his mind race at the threat this would mean for him. The closest guarded secret they had, and someone in the Empire knew? What else could they have found out without all the warning signs being triggered? His breath caught in his chest at the danger his friends could be in if he didn’t find a way to stop this.
“It’s an allergic reaction. Thanks for taking care of it,” Noctis replied with a small shrug.
Ravus smiled at him, showing a good amount of teeth. The kind of smile that sent red flags up in his mind. “That isn’t a normal sort of allergic reaction to a topical iron exposure. Even for the most severe iron allergies. And, don’t say the same thing to salt. That is pure salt, nothing added to it. There isn’t such a thing as a salt allergy. I already looked.” The blond leaned in so they were nearly nose to nose. “What is the Caelum family?”
Noctis found himself swallowing thickly as he stared up at Ravus. “What’s it to you?” he spat. “You hate us. Might as well kill me and end the whole cursed line.”
The older man leaned back to give them both breathing space. “See, I could. Found out some interesting things when I did some folklore searches. If they’re true, I probably could end you right now. But you could also help me.”
“Not everything you read on the internet is true,” Noctis sighed.
“But you can still help me, no matter what you are. Just tell me,” Ravus insisted, leaning back into his personal space so they were staring eye to eye.
The prince found himself staring up at the mismatched eyes with more interest than he had ever before. This man had helped him, saved him from losing his hands, and possibly his life in this cell. He already owed him a debt, and that bond was already aching for him to fulfill the request.
Sighing, he bowed his head. “In return for your assistance, you get a secret,” he intoned, softly.
---
The words had an echo despite the soft quality to Caelum’s voice. Ravus blinked as he leaned back just to see the prince. . . shift some.
He still looked mostly the same, but there were qualities which had become enhanced. The sharpness of his facial features, the intensity of his eyes, and his ears longer than they had been before. The tips came out of his shaggy hair, while a nearly glowing hand reached up to gesture between them.
“We are one of the old fae families. I believe you have read a little bit about us, if you had such a clever trap set up to keep me here,” Caelum replied. At least his voice was still the same.
Ravus blinked several times to really make his eyes understand how the two images before were the same person. The longer he stared, the more he could see how Caelum was the same with and without the illusion he had worn before. The rough scars around his wrists were still there, the blood stained clothes still covered his body, and he still sat with the same slouch.
“Fae. . . not fairy?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Noctis--he supposed the prince had earned his name at this point--snorted. “No, please, fae. Fairy is just. . . that sounds wrong. But, you said someone knew about the iron trick? And to use it on me specifically?”
“Chancellor Izunia, he suggested we specifically capture someone from your family. And when Tummelt offered to do the job, he gave him those,” Ravus explained, gesturing over to the restraints.
The prince scowled at the Chancellor’s name. “Ardyn,” he hissed. “Knew he was up to no good.”
“I take it you’ve had previous interactions with him? Did they not go well?”
Noctis looked up at him with a scowl. “What, did he not crow about what happened at the Disc? He could’ve brought me in then. He’s playing some twisted game. I don’t understand it.”
Ravus watched as an illusion settled back over the prince to bring him back to the same grubby appearance from before. Now he knew what lingered underneath, he had a harder time recognizing this as his true face.
“Wait, the Disc? That was you? We wondered what had happened there. You’re saying Ardyn was partially responsible for that?”
“Of course he was. He rescued us as the whole place tried to erupt. If he really wanted to bring me in for the Empire, he had us for a couple of days,” the fae creature explained while exhaustedly waving a hand. “Don’t trust him.”
Snorting some, Ravus nodded. “Never have. No one in the Empire is trustworthy.”
Noctis opened his mouth to retort, but a loud yawn escaped his lips. “Then-” his breath hitched while he started a second one, “then why did you join them? They destroyed your home. Kept Luna captive all those years.”
Caelum had hit a sore spot just then. Ravus scowled and leaned in close to him, pressing him to the ground and perilously close to the line of salt. “You do not understand what I am trying to do here,” he hissed. “You have mocked my sister enough with your flippant attitude. I will not accept your disrespect like this.”
“My- I didn’t ask to be used as a pawn like this!” the fae spat. As his emotion flared, Ravus could make out a slight glow to his eyes. His hand reached up to try and push the commander off, but he was still too weak from the recent wounds to make much effort.
Instead they only entangled their limbs tighter together.
Ravus scowled down at Noctis, pressing their noses together. “You understand nothing, you naive brat! Your father has done nothing but protect you from the horrors of the world around you!” he spat.
A foot hooked between his legs and soon enough Noctis was sitting on top of his chest and frowning down at him, eyes blazing with supernatural light. “I understand plenty, and more than you think, Ravus,” he replied in a calm voice. “Don’t treat me like a child. The Empire thinks I’m a child, and how many bases have we already destroyed?”
A long slender hand came forward to gently cup his throat, pressing an advantage before pulling away. Instead, a set of chapped lips grazed the shell of Ravus’s ear. “There are things in this world you do not understand, Commander. If you want, I can work with you. Just tell me what you want,” the fae whispered.
The blonde did not want to admit the small thrill the offer gave him. He looked up at those glowing eyes, still shining through the illusion.
“What would you want in return?” he breathed.
The illusion shifted and faded for a bit as a toothy grin grew on Noctis’s face before he shook his head. “That- I’m not supposed to play those games,” he replied softly. “I can just help you.”
The change in attitude intrigued Ravus. He felt a thrill as he reached to touch his cheek gently. “And if I’m willing to give something in return?” he bargained.
The offer alone made Noctis’s eyes dilate and his breath hitch. “Well,” he replied softly, “I suppose it depends on what you’re asking for. Deals have to be equal.”
Ravus was playing with fire, but he had played with fire his whole life. This time, he would get something in return for being reckless.
“Might be a few things,” he warned.
“Then it might be a pretty big deal,” Noctis warned back, leaning in closer. His lips were back to tease Ravus’s ear. “But, I’m willing to negotiate. Especially if we have some similar goals in mind.”
Ravus nodded, a thrill going through him. “I want to take down the Empire. I want to save Luna. And I want Tenebrae to be free.”
Noctis pressed his lips a bit firmer against his ear as he listened to the demands, humming gently. “I like your goals. I think we can work well together.”
Ravus twisted his head so they were practically sharing the same breath. “What about the deal?”
This close up, he could see the purple sheen to Noctis’s eyes, along with supernatural points to his teeth as he grinned. He absently licked his lips, and Ravus could have sworn he felt the tongue brush against his own lips. He did his best to ignore just how close they were as he tried to focus on the task at hand.
Even if he was intrigued to see if Noctis would press them closer.
This evening had gone far differently than he had planned.
“Get me out of here,” Noctis started, his voice nearly a whisper, “you join us to help take out the Empire. Send a message to Luna in Altissia. We’ll. . . meet up somewhere to figure out the Covenants. I want peace.”
“Anything else?” Ravus whispered back.
“A kiss, to start with. And a favor in the future.”
Ravus blinked at the boldness, his breath catching. “What kind of favor?”
“Don’t know. A favor. A kiss and a favor. And peace with Lucis when we get through this. We’re allies, through all of this.”
The deal, considering how much Noctis had asked, wasn’t too much. The blonde knew this, and he had worried it could have been far more than was truly asked for. A favor could mean anything, but from how Noctis had acted, so far, he doubted it would be anything too arduous. He hadn’t even asked for secrecy, which had been remarkable.
“Deal. It’s a deal,” Ravus replied softly.
He reached out to wipe away at the salt circle around them, releasing Noctis from the trap he had created. The moment the circle was gone, he felt the fae relax entirely on top of his chest. The reaction made him laugh suddenly. “That bad?”
“You have no idea. It’s like a persistent skin crawl until it’s gone. Can we get outta here?” Noctis whined.
Ravus had to smile at the sight of Noctis still acting the way he always did, despite the deal and the revelation they had just had. Perhaps this didn’t mean much more for who he was, beyond adding more to the usual brat the prince was.
“Very well, it would probably be for the best. I do not know how much longer we would be left alone in here anyways. Do you feel strong enough to walk on your own?” Ravus asked as he gently tried to shove the prince off of him.
With a small grunt, Noctis forced himself to his feet, using the wall to catch himself. “Yeah, maybe, sure. I’ve got this.”
Ravus sighed and rolled his eyes while he got to his feet. He bent down to scoop up the two restraints, earning a hiss for his efforts. “Do not give me that. We need to make it look like you escaped without much assistance on my behalf. Unless you do not want an inside man?”
“I don’t like the idea of you still working for the Empire. It’s not really part of the deal,” Noctis groused with his arms crossed over his chest.
Stepping into Noctis’s personal space once more to pin him against the wall, Ravus leaned down till they were nearly touching lips. “Would it help if I promised to come back to your side soon? Only to help keep them off your trail?”
Those eyes, no longer shimmering with purple energy, narrowed at Ravus. “Fine,” Noctis sighed. “But not too long. Caem, meet in Caem. Bring Luna if you can.”
Ravus tilted his head at the offer of a safe place for his sister then nodded. “Very well. Caem. We will return there as soon as possible.”
He pulled away to start toward the door before a hand wrapped around his wrist and tugged him back. He blinked at the interruption. “What is it this-”
His question was interrupted by Noctis smashing their lips together in a sloppy and teeth ridden kiss. Ravus stood stock still for the entire duration from the sheer surprise of the kiss. When Noctis pulled away, the prince ducked his head.
“Wanted to- never mind, got that out of the way,” the prince muttered. He shoved his hands into his pockets to stalk toward the door.
The kiss, part of the deal. Ravus realized there had been more to that part of the deal than just something to add for value. Blinking a few times, he quickly moved to grab Noctis’s upper arm to stop him.
A pinched expression looked up at him when the fae turned toward him from the interruption.
“I believe you’d have a better experience if you did it like this,” Ravus explained softly. He pulled Noctis in slowly, giving him plenty of time to understand what he was about to do.
Then, he slotted their lips together into a soft kiss. This time without the knocking together of their teeth or the extra saliva. Soon though, he felt Noctis move under him. Their arms entwined to pull each other closer as their lips worked to explore the other slowly and carefully.
Eventually air became a problem, and they slowly pulled away enough for them to catch their breath. Noctis looked up at him with kiss swollen lips. This expression Ravus decided was his favorite. He would have to make sure he saw it often.
“I guess you might have a point,” the prince replied softly. “Now can we go?”
Ravus leaned down to press one more kiss to Noctis’s lips. “Now we can go. I’ll be back in Caem soon. I promise.”
“It’s a deal?” Noctis asked.
“It’s a deal.” Ravus swore.