[KH/FF] Treachery of Fate: Blood and Betrayal

Chapter 81

Descending the main staircase that led to the mosaic tile painting at the bottom in front of the door, you were awed at the beauty of the house you hadn’t properly taken a look at the last time. Noctis—who had your arm linked with his—couldn’t help himself from smiling mischievously, especially when his mother, Jihl, and Stella spotted the two of you first upon your entrance into the living room. Many of the girls had changed into similar clothing you had on, and that fact was thanks to the clothing uniforms the Caelum’s women guards wore when training.

This rule didn’t apply to Stella and her sister as the two refused, and wore silky cream colored nighties that had a layer of glitter to them. The clothing was itself shorter than the school’s uniformed skirt, obtained from the private room the two shared in the mansion on their frequent visits. As they glared at you, your attention returned from staring at the familiar room, and was puzzled until Noctis chuckled, you rolling your eyes and shoving him playfully, his hold on you now broken. Seeing that you were awake as you wandered off by yourself, Lucis and Auron approached you as they exited, the two holding their conversation about what to do next with Cid Raines by their side.

“[Name],” Lucis nodded curtly,” it’s good to see you’re alright.”

“Thank you sir,” you bowed. “I’m so sorry for all this trouble.”

“Nonsense!” he waved you off and chuckled. “I support your reasonable cause. That and I couldn’t possibly say no to someone my sons have taken an exceptionally high adoration towards, right Cid?” he nudged his son.

“F-Father!” Cid grunted, looking away with a light pink tint to his cheeks.

“See?” he patted the ravenette as he chuckled once more.

“Are you feeling alright since earlier today, [Name]?” Auron inquired. “You had us horrified—jumping into a burning house like that.”

“I’m fine,” you giggled. “Worrying about me is putting stress on yourself, so don’t. I have all the information I need to come to the conclusion I guessed on a while ago when I first saw Axel’s eyes change color—I just need to piece them together.”

“Right,” he sighed. “But don’t you stress yourself out either. We need you as much as you need us in this.”

“We’ll leave you now to relax then [Name]. Come,” Lucis motioned for both Cid and Auron to follow him into the living room.

You walked through the doorframe into the kitchen and couldn’t help stifle the gasp that escaped your lips at the massive size. Across from you, a stove with twelve burners occupied most of one end beside a double storied oven. Beside that to the wall on your left, auburn colored cabinets hung over the dishes, a large sink and dishwasher on that side. Finally on the end to your side, there was a large silver colored refrigerator with black handles accompanied by more shelves and cabinets filled with spices. The left end of the room was made entirely of two glass entryways with double doors, framed with auburn wood and opened with golden knobs.

The curtains that stood over the windows were peach colored, and pushed off to the side as they hung along a golden rod. The floor was a sleek wood and spotless just like the white marble countertops of the two kitchen islands and surrounding counters. The walls were painted a light forest green color, giving the entire room a serene feeling. Stools were metallic with red revolving cushions and were numbered to eight at each island. In front of doors was a circular table seating four; its color a deep tan, the wood streaks visible even from far.

A small cloud of steam erupted from the stove, and you took notice of the only other person in the room. He turned away from the stove towards a kitchen island, his blonde hair shaggily laid across his forehead, rather than the usual perfect slick it was in. His blue eyes were concentrated on chopping the vegies in front of him which was done neatly and persistently. As you approached him, you leaned on the countertop across from where he stood, head in your hands, watching.