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Chapter 6: A Proposal for Celebration...?

It didn't take long for someone to notice the flower in your hair. Prompto went crazy snapping photos despite your mumbles to stop. You also had to hand it to Jared, the Amicitia family caretaker, for his vast knowledge of the world. For he was the one who spoke of an ancient tribe who resided in the forests of Tenebrae, famous for their powers and longtime protectors of the Oracle. Everyone glanced awkwardly at you when Jared went into detail of what their special abilities were. You could almost see the lightbulbs above the guys' heads lighting up one by one, Ignis being the first at no surprise. It came very close to home when Jared touched on the symbolism of the Sampaguita to your village.

"Do you have a boyfriend (Your Name)?" Jared asked, a little hint of entertainment in his voice. You shook your head shyly, noticing Prompto nudging Noctis with a mischievous grin from the corner of your eye.

"How come Ojiichan?" Talcott asked curiously.

"The Sampaguita was generally worn by women as a fragrance, but also as a way for males to tell if they were single or engaged. If a female wore it on her right ear, she was single. Whereas if it was on her left ear, she was taken or engaged," Jared explained to Talcott who listened to his grandfather in awe, "There are other meanings with the Sampaguita. Especially for when receiving them,"

"Receiving them?" Gladio asked, glancing at you quickly before looking back down at his caretaker.

"Well, for example. If a male wanted to propose to his lover, instead of a ring, he would search the forests for the rarer kind of Sampaguita that often dwelled on high cliffs of the mountains. He would then proceed with his profession of love and present the Sampaguita to his lover. If she accepts, he places the Sampaguita on her left ear,"

"Woah! That's pretty crazy!" Prompto gushed, looking back at you and blinking a few times, "Hey... Wait a minute. You didn't put on the flower yourself (Your Name). I saw Gladio..." Prompto trailed off, his mouth hung wide open at Gladio, who scratched the back of his neck, giving you an apologetic smile. Like the awkward Prince and his apologies, your awkwardness lay with receiving compliments and being teased, even more so when in a romantic sense, having next to no experience in the love department.

"It would seem, instead of a gesture of kindness, Gladio had unconsciously proposed to (Your Name)," Ignis commented. You swore you saw a smirk on Ignis' face, whereas he was quick to return to his usual stoic expression.

"Pft..." Prompto fell into a fit of laughter as Iris' gawked at her older brother.

"An honest mistake on my behalf!" Gladio defended as Iris put her hands on her hips, clearly unimpressed.

"There are other reasons why the Sampaguita flower is presented to people though," Jared carried on, his eyes on you with an all-knowing smile etched on his kind face.

"Eh? Like what?" Prompto asked, bursting to know.

"Birthdays," Jared explained, you shifted your gaze away from Jared's eyes, feeling he had figured out why you were silent throughout the entire exchange.

Your birthday was in two days and you never really celebrated it, having succeeded in not disclosing the information to the folks in Hammerhead. This was something you weren't planning on changing either. You weren't one for the attention, not to mention it was during your birthday celebration in which your village fell victim to Niflheim's ruthlessness. A soft chuckle caught your attention, only to see Jared had made his way over to you.

"I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable Miss (Your Last Name)," Jared began, his kind smile never wavering.

"Please. There's no need for formalities. (Your Name) is fine," You insisted.