A Heart Of Fire (Final Fantasy XV)

~Memories~ Part 1

It has been officially one week since young Nuraya arrived at the palace of Insomnia, home of the royal Lucis family, and she could not have felt any more uncomfortable. Since her arrival, the palace has been buzzing with the news of a strange, red-headed girl dressed in nothing but an old, dirtied shirt now living amongst the King and his son. Many have wondered what was going through His Majesty's head when he made the announcement, to allow a random girl from a faraway village to live in the palace. Many thought he pitied the poor girl, and some believed that he saw potential in the girl to be a strong soldier, someone who could fight amongst the Kingsglaive and protect Lucis and the Crystal. Whatever the rumors were, they only seemed to make her more and more nervous and shy. Nuraya was never this timid back in Solis, but then again, she wasn't exactly a social butterfly, either. Since arriving at the palace, she felt so out of place, like she stuck out like a sore thumb. It was nerve-wracking for her, and the rumors didn't help.

During her time in the palace, she did her best to stay out of everybody's way. The last thing she wanted to do was to annoy any of the servants and get in the way of their work. So, she kept to herself and rarely engaged with anyone, with the exception of Lillian and the King's butler, and found a couple of things to do to keep her occupied, like reading her books and wandering around in the palace. 

"You should try and be a little more social, let people get to know you," Lillian said as she brushed Nuraya's hair. As she ran the brush through the girl's long locks, Nuraya sat on a stool in front of the vanity in her room, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror. She hummed in response as Lillian moved some hair out of the girls' face. Lillian stared down at the girl with a slight frown and set the brush down on the stand with a soft sigh. She encouraged Nuraya to be more open with others, but she would always find the girl by herself.

"You know you can't keep yourself holed up in your room forever," Lillian scolds as she straightens out the girl's clothes.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Nuraya huffs softly. "I don't think I'd find a lot of servants that'd like to play with me." Lillian knew she had a point there, but there was one person in the palace that would be the perfect companion for the girl.

"Well, you could always play with the young prince," Lillian suggested with a smile. Nuraya lowered her head, trying to hide the small frown on her face. Lillian couldn't help but let out a soft giggle at the girl and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"There's nothing to fret, dear," Lillian consoled. "I'm sure the prince would be more than happy to play with you. All you have to do is ask." Nuraya considered the possibility in her head. Although she and the prince really haven't seen each other since they first met, she figured that he seemed nice enough. But the timid side of her began to wonder if he may not want to be friends.

"What if...he doesn't like me?" Nuraya mumbles, looking at Lillian's reflection in the mirror. "What if he thinks I'm weird?"

"Then I will personally give him a piece of my mind," Lillian blurted sternly, surprising Nuraya with her strict tone. "The young prince is to have proper manners, and he should never be rude to a lady. It would be quite unbefitting of the future king of Lucis."

"I guess so," Nuraya mutters. She looked down at her hands and pondered the idea of seeking out the young prince. He didn't seem so bad when we met, Nuraya thought. Maybe Lillian's right, maybe I should try talking with him. It beats staying in my room all day reading. With her decision in mind, she got up from her seat and turned to Lillian with a straight face.

"I'll go talk with him," she announced. Lillian smiled at the girl and gently moved a few strands of hair out of her face with her hand.

"All I ask is that you try, dear," Lillian says softly.

A couple of hours later, Nuraya found herself waiting patiently on a bench out in the royal gardens, where she waited for Lillian to return with the prince. Lillian made a plan to schedule a play date for the two of them. Since Nuraya was far too nervous to go to the prince herself, Lillian figured it wouldn't hurt if she took the prince to Nuraya. Such a silly girl, Lillian thought with a chuckle as she left for the young Prince's room.