Ardyn was quick to notice the little smile on Prompto’s face as he wrapped his arm around his chair, finding a great deal of comfort in that look. To think, Ardyn had almost decided to leave the kid alone in his cell for another week… It was becoming more and more clear that such torture was no longer remotely necessary. All of the brainwashing and conditioning he’d done throughout his imprisonment had clearly taken hold. Ardyn was a source of comfort for him now, perhaps the only source of comfort. It felt good, being so needed. So loved. How long had it been…?
He noticed Prompto’s expression change when murdering Noctis came up. That was, of course, to be expected. What mattered was what came next. The man was pleasantly surprised to hear Prompto slowly, reluctantly agree to stand by Ardyn’s side no matter what, noticing the boy’s specific reaction to the words ‘I need you’. The hesitance to slaughter his former friends was certainly expected, but it would seem they were on the right track. Ardyn, and how he felt, clearly meant a great deal to Prompto now. Perhaps it was time to expand on that.
“Continuing to stay here, by my side, is an important decision, of course,” Ardyn nodded, bringing his feet back down to the floor and leaning forward in his chair, keeping his eyes locked on Prompto’s pretty blue ones. “But, that is not what fate has in store for you now. I would have you aid me in my goals. You said you belong to me now, yes? You’re hardly in any position to deny me the right to use my new toy however I please.”
He stood up from his chair, moving to stand behind Prompto. He reached down, resting each hand on the young man’s shoulders, beginning to rub them softly. “Allow me to regale you with a tale,” he said slowly. “Once upon a time, thousands of years ago, there was a healer, loved and revered by his people. A horrible scourge of a disease spread over the kingdom, and this healer used his special abilities, bestowed unto him by the gods, to heal the people of this plague by taking their sickness into himself. Meanwhile, his younger brother gathered up the infected and burned them alive en masse to prevent its spread.”
He paused for a moment, never enjoying any time that he had to think about his past, let alone explain it to someone. But, he was Prompto’s savior. Maybe hearing this would complete all of the brainwashing and torture, and bring Prompto to the mental state that Ardyn needed him to be in. “The crystal was to choose the very first king of Lucis, carrying with it the will of the gods. When the younger brother learned that his heroic savior of a sibling was to serve as king, he became jealous and vengeful, murdering the healer’s beloved and causing the Starscourge, all of the disease he had absorbed from countless people to save their souls and their lives, to fully manifest. Barely able to stand, the healer stumbled to the crystal to learn his fate. And he got pushed away.”
Slowly, Ardyn moved around the chair, bringing himself in front of Prompto and kneeling down on the floor, bringing himself back down to eye level with his pet and taking his hands into his own. For a brief moment, Ardyn’s face appeared daemonic and twisted as he made eye contact with Prompto, but it quickly returned to its normal coloration. “The crystal rejected me, declaring me too infected and daemonic to rule. So, my brother Somnus sat the throne, locking me away for thousands of years and erasing any trace of my legacy from history, leaving only a footnote of a monster called Adagium. Lucis is built upon a lie, its royal family mere thieves and murderers who manipulated an entire nation, backed by the gods’ will.”
He took a deep breath, still staring hungrily into Prompto’s eyes. “Thousands of years had it been since last I had a friend, or a lover. As I’ve said, Prompto… I need you. And I do not intend to ever let you out of my grasp.”
Every word that left the blond’s mouth he had meant, it was beyond him to go this far in acting to simply be released for a small amount of time. Though maybe others would have been able to... Prompto saw no point. His friends abandoned him and wanted nothing to do with him, what was once his world was nothing more, and like a moth drawn to the light- Ardyn had become his light. It was he, who would become his new world, and there was no doubt in his mind of that. He could go without the food, without all these luxuries, they meant nothing. Gifts, if anything, from his saviour.
He blinked a few times after he had spoken, his gaze averting elsewhere while his face had heated. It was odd to say things like this, it was rare for him to even express himself to Noctis back when the two had been around each other all the time. He knew it was worry of judgement... yet, he felt more at ease with speaking these sort of things, thoughts and feelings to Ardyn.
He had lifted his gaze upon being spoken to once more, the sound of his voice was like a siren to call for his attention, all of it.
Feeling the uplift of Ardyn’s feet he only shifted slightly, he knew what words were to come held weight. There was simply something about Ardyn’s mannerisms that Prompto had taken notice to from the first moment they laid eyes on one another at Galdin Quay, of when the man was reaching to something of an important matter. Whether this was done in a playful manner... or not so playful manner.
Ocean blues locked with bright amber ones in return, he could feel his heart nearly stumble over itself from being so close to the man. “A-ah... I suppose you’re right...” How would he assist Ardyn, what would he make him do down the line when he so desired it? He knew he would do his best for him, he did say he belonged to him, he... didn’t have much room to deny what he demanded or wished for. If he did... surely there would be consequences... as to what those would be he wasn’t sure, but he did fear them ahead of time.
Prompto had attempted to follow where Ardyn was walking, but the moment he stood behind him he stared forward for a moment, tensing only for a second at the touch- being touched in general was something he felt he was no longer familiar with. But with the slightest bit of a rub by the reminder of who it was that was touching him he relaxed before leaning his head back and tilting it up to look at Ardyn the best he could. Was he... sharing something with him? For a moment he closed his eyes, allowing his other senses and his imagination to take over as he listened to the story being told. He knew... he knew that this healer he spoke of had to be Ardyn. This story, to a degree at least to the crystal bit was familiar, he had heard it be spoken of from time to time... but discovering what had happened to Ardyn... it made his heart drop. A sickening feeling that coursed through his being at knowing how his fate had played out for him.
He only opened his eyes when Ardyn moved away from behind him, kneeling in front of him, hands holding his own, and for a moment when Prompto looked up, he was greeted by a face that was only best to be described daemonic, yet... he didn’t pull away. The dropping of his stomach was from knowing this is what had been bestowed upon him through what was claimed to be a ‘blessing’ healing those... only to be rejected by the crystal due to it attaching itself to his soul and to be revealed when a murder occurred of someone Ardyn once cared for. As to be expected, he revealed at the end, this was indeed him, and despite the daemonic features fading, he could see where it was had been. One hand remained, while the other pulled away, reaching out to gently touch the man’s cheek. “They locked you away?” He repeated the words, almost lost and confused at how someone, including blood, could throw someone away in such a manner.
The frown that crossed his features was a saddened one, his thumb gently brushing the cheek of Ardyn, soft to the touch, something he never thought he would touch- something... he wasn’t sure he was allowed to touch but here he was. “I will not leave you... I will not abandon you.”
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