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‘Insomnia’ became a place that Lunafreya began to view as a symbol of hope or a paradise. It was not that she had never been to the Crown City, in fact, she had spent a few weeks in the city as a young child and had created many memories that she would forever cherish. That was before the fall of Tenebrae, her own home country. From that point on, the image of Insomnia became one of safety and a bright future. Safety was a feeling that the young Oracle longed for, something that she had not felt since the fateful day that she lost her mother and was detained by the empire. Everything that once made her feel safe was taken from her, leaving the young girl searching for something to cling to. The jail cell and the cruel guards that she was forced to endure only made that search more difficult. It was not until she received her first note from her childhood friend that she finally was able to hold onto something that made her feel alive.
Receiving and sending letters from Noctis brought up a lot of feelings for Lunafreya at first. She was constantly terrified that she would be caught by the guards or that the they would catch Pryna and steal the notebook. Over time, she had come up with a system that was mostly foolproof. Still, she did occasionally have fear and anxiety creep up on her. Her letters to Noctis became the light that she was so desperately seeking. It became a time where Lunafreya could really express her feelings and grievances. She never told Noctis everything that was happening due to fear of him feeling guilty or responsible. At times she let a detail or two slip, only to try and cover it up in the following letter. Luna felt guilty for that, she would rather keep her struggles to herself than cause any more stress for the crowned Prince of Lucis. It was her letters with Noctis that she first learned that the Empire had planned to have her go to Insomnia. There was some sort of political angle to her visit, she was sure, but that did not stop her from daydreaming about revisiting the last remaining place she felt would be safe and to see the man that she fell in love with through the countless letters over the years.
The day that the Chancellor of Niflheim came to her ‘room’ to let her in on the plan of her marriage to Noctis was a day that Lunafreya would never forget. Over the years, she became very good at hiding her true feelings and keeping a polished and poised composure, but the prospect of being with Noctis caused that perfectly crafted faucet to show some cracks. It was something that she would scold herself for much later, especially after the Chancellor’s slight smirk at the slip, but in the moment she did not care. She was going to Insomnia and she was going to be safe again. That was the illusion that she created for herself in her mind over the years. Anything would be better than her current position which was only one step above being a slave. She never was monitored at all times of the day and her schedule was made before she even woke up. Nothing could be done about it in the Niflheim, all she could do was smile and play the part of the perfect doll on the outside. In her excitement, Lunafreya drew a calendar in the journal to cross off the days in anticipation. At first, she thought it was childish and worried that Noctis may find it naive, but to her surprise, he seemed just as anxious as she was. Containing her excitement proved to be much harder than she thought it would be. Her luggage was packed days in advance and tucked underneath her bed to hide from the prying eyes of the various guards that would come into her room.
Lunafreya did not sleep a minute the night before she was to depart for Insomnia. Her anticipation and daydreams kept her up through the night despite the rational side of her mind telling her that she should go to bed early to fully appreciate the coming trip. That night felt like an absolute eternity to the young Oracle. It took everything in her to not sleep in her day clothes so they could leave immediately once the door to her room opened.
The trip from the Empire to Insomnia was frustrating due to Lunafreya’s impatience while also being a breath of fresh air. It was not Lunafreya’s first time being escorted outside of the Empire, far from it. She was routinely taken out to be escorted from corner to corner of the Eos for diplomatic matters and to heal the ill. It was all for image; to make the Empire look less cruel and threatening than they actually were. There was always an underlying motive for those visits. A tiny voice in the back of Lunafreya’s head told her that this time was no different but she suppressed it. ‘Everything is going to be alright. You will finally be safe.’ Was what she kept repeating to herself in her head to keep her mind focused on the delicately crafted fantasies in her head.
She found herself glued to the window and watching the scenery pass by. Even though Luna had seen the parts they were driving through hundreds of times over, everything seemed brand new and exciting to her. The grass seemed so much more greener, the people happier, the sun seemed to shine much brighter. She jumped when the door suddenly opened and a metal clad guard invaded her sights.
“Pit stop Princess.” The man simply said before stepping to the side to let her out of the vehicle. She took that as a cue to come out, most likely to freshen up or stretch her legs, something that was much needed. She stepped out of the vehicle and the bright sun caused her to cover her eyes. It seemed that they had stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere. The area was open and desolate, only the sounds of animals in the distance and mechanical machernicary meeting her ears. Lunafreya turned to the guard that had opened the door.
“If I may, how far away are we from Insomnia.” The man simply scoffed and looked the other way, not answering her question. It was not uncommon for the guards to treat her in such a cold manner, but most likely the guard did not know himself and his pride simply wouldn’t let him say as much. It was a quality found very commonly among people in the Empire. Luna tore her eyes away from the guard to take in her surroundings again. Maybe something in the area would give her some sort of indication how far away she was. She wandered towards the gas station which she now realized doubled as a mechanic’s garage. A sign not far off told her that the place was named ‘Hammerhead Garage’ . A man was sitting in a chair watching the members of the Empire like a hawk as they refueled and stretched their limbs. She knew immediately from the reaction on his face and posture that he was not fond of them but had to allow them to use the area due to their standing. Lunafreya walked over to the elder man. He had his arms crossed firmly over his chest and wore an orange hat.
“Excuse me,” The man turned to look at her as soon as she started to talk. His eyes did not hold any malice towards her which was a good sign. “Would you happen to know how far we are from the Crown City?” The man looked at her for a moment before tipping his hat down a bit and looking at the ground.
“Depends on which way you are goin’ but about two or three hours I reckon would be a good estimate.” His voice was scruffy and seemed to hold a lot of emotion that was being suppressed. It was not unusual for people to grow emotional when speaking to Lunafreya. In fact, it happened quite a lot. When she would go out healing the ill, it was very common for people to beg for her help and break down in her presence. It put a lot of pressure on her but she could not blame them though. After all, her image was put out to the people as a sign of hope and comfort. In times such as these, she was the symbol that many people needed and longed for. It only made it hurt the more when people would become irate with her when the Empire would cut her visits short and not allow her to attend to everyone begging for her help. She smiled sweetly at the old man and bowed slightly to her.
“Thank you, good sir.” The man looked up from the ground to the Oracle. He seemed to stare at her for a moment and Luna could see on his face that he seemed to have something he was internally debating whether or not he should say. After a moment, he nodded at her. By the reaction on his face, it seemed he decided that it was best to not vocalize whatever it was he was thinking.
“Yeah, be careful out there, girly.” Luna really wanted to pry and know what it was, but she also knew how inappropriate it would be. Besides, she could almost feel the eyes that were watching her every move. Luna bowed slightly again to the man respectfully.
“And you as well.” She made her way past the older man into a small sort of convenience shop that was attached to the garage area. There was not a lot in there but she was not planning on buying anything anyway. She was not in control of her money, after all. Any sort of purchase would have to go through the guards and that was a headache she would rather not have to endure no matter how hard her stomach growled. It was simply window shopping, something she had found herself being quite fond of actually. It told her a lot about the areas that she was in and she enjoyed discovering new things. Every aspect of her life was so heavily controlled, the only things she got to see were the hand picked items that were delivered to her. The sound of metal banging against mental grabbed her attention and she turned to see the same guard that opened the door standing in the doorway of the store. The sound came from the guard tapping his knuckle against the door frame lazily to get her attention. It was entirely inappropriate not to mention a disrespectful way to grab her attention but it could not be helped.
“Time to go.” Lunafreya internally sighed. She wished that she could stay in the area longer and explore but knew it was pointless to ask for more time. She made her way out of the store and back towards the elderly man in the chair.
“Thank you again.” She simply said to him in passing but the man did not respond, not that she entirely expected it. It seemed to her that he absolutely loathed the Empire and with a guard by her side, it was not surprising. The door was opened back up for her and she made her way back into the car. It took a few minutes before the vehicle started to move once again, but when it did her eyes went back to being glued on the passing world that she longed to see. She clenched her hands in her lap as she tried to calm her nerves of excitement.
Only two more hours and she would find herself in Insomnia.
Within the span of those few hours, the young Oracle slipped into a much-needed slumber. She was immediately awakened when the vehicle went over a particularly large bump. Luna was not sure how much time had passed from the time she was in Hammerhead and now and crawled over to the window to look outside. Large skyscraper buildings lined the streets causing her breath to be taken away. Large buildings were not something that was exactly foreign, but the modern and sleek aesthetic was something that rivaled those in the Empire. She knew that Insomnia was more technologically advanced than other places from the because of the letters she received from Noctis. It was something that she could not picture in her head so every little detail she committed to memory. The city seemed like it was full of life and vigor. Lunafreya watched the citizens and guards from the car window as they made their way street by street.
It did not seem too long that they turned into an area that was more secluded and came to a stop. Lunafreya looked around and saw large buildings on all sides acting as cover from the public. A few moments later, the door was opened and the same guard that had opened it earlier was there.
“Come on then.”
Lunafreya made her way out of the car and looked around. There were many guards from the Empire there, which was nothing new. What caught her off guard was the sight of the Chancellor in the distance. Lunafreya maintained composure as she walked towards him. She had only spoken to the man a handful times but in those exchanges she knew that he was someone who could not be trusted.
“Welcome to Insomnia, Lady Lunafreya.” The man said while twirling one of his hands in the air to make it feel like a grand welcoming. He walked over to a car that was near him and opened the car door, a gesture that told the Princess that she was to go from one car to another. As much as she wanted to look around and take in everything, she resisted showing any signs of interest" It was best, she had learned, to maintain a poker face when it came to higher ups in the Empire. She got in the car and a moment later the Chancellor of Niflheim got in after her. Her heart started to race at it but she forced herself to calm down. They drove down another back street, only the sounds of the car engine filled the air for a few moments. Lunafreya could not decide if the silence was welcoming or unnerving. “Are you excited to see Prince Noctis, Lady Lunafreya?” The man asked but Luna did not answer. She did not want to give him whatever reaction he may be trying to get from her. “...Alas, it seems that the Prince will be out of town the first couple days of your stay here.” That earned a reaction from her.
“Noctis...is not here?” She asked, allowing the shock to show on her face.
“Fret not, he will be back in due time. In the meantime, you will be staying inside the Citadel with some of Insomnia’s finest.” The Chancellor responded with an undertone that the princess could not place. “Of course, you cannot forget that you will always be under the watchful eyes of the Empire.” The underlying threat in his words was not missed on Luna and it took everything in her to not break down. She tried to focus on the positive to put her mind at ease. Noctis may not be there, but he would be back, and while she was not totally free from the Empire’s grasps, it was a step towards freedom. She clenched her fists and looked out the window, deciding that silence was indeed better when it came to this man.
The Citadel was a sight to behold. It stood above the city and was a sign of power. The car pulled up to a roundabout curve that was in front of the stairs of the building. Outside the car, there were many people in black, well put together uniforms that Luna could only assume were Insomnia’s law enforcement. The car came to a stop which led to the oracle to glance out the window to observe the situation. A few of the Insomnia guards went over and talked to the soldiers from the Empire that escorted Lunafreya here. There were a few quiet, uncomfortable minutes in silence before the door to the car was opened. Luna looked over and saw a man with dark hair opening the door. He had a dark uniform like the other guards but his aura was a bit different.
“Welcome to Insomnia, Princess.” The man said politely. Luna took a moment to take in his appearance and noticed a small tattoo underneath his eye and down the side of his neck. She glanced over at the chancellor who was watching Luna’s reaction before ultimately getting out of the car. She looked up to try and take it just how huge the Citadel was, but for her position it just seemed like a never ending skyscraper. She took a step forward to take more of it in before jumping slightly at the sound of the car door shutting behind her. The guard who had opened her door pressed his ear piece and conveyed that Lunafreya was at the Citadel to whoever was on the receiving end. She did not care too much about who he was talking to, all she cared about was she was finally here; she was in Insomnia. She was finally in a place that she dreamed of for years. Luna almost wanted to pinch herself to make sure that she was not dreaming, but knew that would be a weird sight for all the guards watching her.
Lunafreya was taken up to a room that was set up just for her stay. The room was very spacious and bright. It was much more welcoming and inviting than any of the rooms in the Empire. She could not linger too much on that room because something in the room caught her eye and made her heart skip a beat. The notebook that she shared with Noctis was sitting gracefully on the night table. Which meant that Noctis had written in it. She rushed over to the notebook as the guard who let her in brought in her luggage. He said a few things to her but Luna was too focused on getting to the notebook. She opened it and quickly turned to the page that she last left off on and, sure enough, there was an entry from Noctis.
“Princess?” Lunafreya jumped slightly and saw that the guard was staring at her trying to get her attention.
“My apologies, what was it that you said?” The man did not seem mad or irritated one bit, in fact he seemed slightly amused by her reaction. He shook his head slightly and Luna noticed that he had braids in his hair that were adorned with beads. It was something that she did not think was part of Lucian culture which led her to believe he may not originally be from Lucis. She could not place where he was from but knew she had seen the custom somewhere during her trips wandering the Eos.
“I said, ‘do you need anything else’?” His tone also reflected a relaxed, more amused attitude as well which was a relief. Lunafreya was very used to the hostile, irritated behavior from the guards that she encountered in the empire. It was a very welcomed change. She straightened up a bit.
“Yes, your name?” The man looked a bit shocked for a moment before coughly slightly to hide his reaction and go back to one of professionalism.
“Nyx. Nyx Ulric. If you need anything else, I will be in the hallway.” Nyx said before going to the door.
“Thank you.” Lunafreya said before Nyx left the room and closed the door behind him. Lunafreya waited a few moments before opening the journal back up opening the journal back up somewhat hastily. Her eyes scanned the page till it came to the new entry from Noctis.
Luna
I have to go out of town quick. I’m sorry, dad needs me to do something. I can’t wait to see you.
Noct
The entry was accompanied with a sad face sticker which made Lunafreya smile slightly at the bittersweet note. She was sad that Noctis was not here, but it was clear that he had every intention to come back as quickly as possible. Lunafreya grabbed a pen that was sitting on the bedside table before writing a note back.
I will be waiting~
Luna
Lunafreya smiled as she gently touched the pages of the journal. There was so much history and memories recorded in the confines of the letter bound notebook. It was one of the most cherished items that Luna owned. Lunafreya felt something wet against her hand looked down to see the dark messenger dog nuzzling her hand. She smiled and leaned down to pet his head.
“Hello Umbra, you are quite intuitive, you know that?” The dark dog sat and enjoyed the pets that Luna gave him. Nothing brought Lunafreya more joy than seeing the dogs that she and Noctis would use to send messages. She knew their presence meant that there was a message from Noctis. She laughed softly before closing the notebook and putting it on his back carrier. “Here you go, bring this to Noctis.” The dog stood up and ran towards the window before jumping out of it. Lunafreya ran to the window to make sure that he was okay, but he was already gone. Even though the dog was a Messenger of the Gods and in no way a normal dog, she forgot sometimes. It was at that moment that Lunafreya realized just how high up she was. She looked out and saw the carefully laid out streets and buildings of Insomnia. From where she was, it was easy to see how carefully laid out the city was. It truly was a masterpiece; one that she never thought that she would get the chance to see. True, she really hoped that Noctis would have been there the day that she arrived, but just being here made her happier than she was in years.
Lunafreya laid in her new bed wide awake. She had really hoped that she would be able to see Regis at the very least but, according to Nyx, he was too preoccupied to see her. It was very disappointing but she tried not to focus too much on that.There was ample amount of time for her to see him again. The two had a lot to catch up on since they had not spoken since the fall of Tenebrae. Lunafreya would wonder from time to time if Regis was aware of Noctis and her exchanges. She rolled on her side and looked out the window. Even though she had been in the Citadel for a few hours now, she still could not believe she was here and was sure that is why she was now laying there wide awake.
Her brain began to wonder as she tried to will herself to sleep. Today really felt like the start of a new chapter in her life. A life with Noctis; something that she had been longing for so long now. The two have known each other most of her life and, while she did not see Noctis in a romantic light at first, through their letters and exchanges a love began to blossom. To most, it would seem silly to fall in love with someone despite having little physical contact, but the words on the hundreds of pages that the two had exchanged back and forth caused just that. Maybe it was because both of them were truly introverted, or that they were all the other had, but the messages in the notebook spoke louder to both of them than any other type of interaction. They were deep; they were personal. She had told things to Noctis that she would never tell anyone else and vice versa. Noctis was the first one to confess his feelings to Lunafreya, which was something that neither of them even expected.
Luna,
I don't know entirely how to say what i am thinking or feeling, even after years of communicating like this. I know we're supposed to get married for political reasons and that such marriages don't require any actual feelings. I also know that we haven't actually seen each other in years, but that doesn't change the fact that i've told you things that i've never told anyone before.
I know it might sound stupid given the fact that we haven't seen each other since...you know, but I really really care about you, and I want you to be happy. I mean, I hope that's not news to you. I've never felt this way about anyone before and I don't know if you feel the same as I do but I think that i love you.
I'm sure that sounds sappy and that if anyone else were reading this that they'd definitely laugh, but I've been wanting to tell you that for a while, regardless of what you think or feel, just to have it out in the open.
...Gladio just got back so I have to go. Hope you are well and to hear from you soon.
Hope to see you.
-Noct
Lunafreya swore she had to read that message that he had written over a one hundred times, not believing her eyes. Noctis had two ways of writing, either brief messages or lengthy messages. He always used stickers with his messages though, a fact that always warmed Lunafreya’s heart. Noctis would get so excited when he would find new stickers that he could share with Luna.
Noctis would never admit it, but he was a romantic at heart. When he would write messages talking about his feelings or his dreams, they were some of the most beautiful and deep things that Lunafreya had ever read. It was not too often that he would write lengthy messages talking about his feelings, but when he did, it showed a side of him that many would never expect to exist. One thing that Luna had learned early on about Noctis was that the perceptions that the public had about him were not accurate. He had a lot of heart and cared deeply about things whereas the public would think of him as simply a spoiled prince. He was anything but that and Lunafreya would testify to that.
Noctis would share about his friends and about the new things that would happen in school. Those tended to be very lengthy messages and it always brought Lunafreya joy seeing the sheer amount of love and care Noctis had from his friends. Lunafreya would share more about her thoughts and feelings since she did not want to taint the journal with any of the hardships that she was facing. In fact, Noctis only knew a portion of what Luna went through. Noctis had confided in Lunafreya about his insecurities and also personal hardships, so she did not want to add on to his load with her own problems. It may seem silly to someone on the outside, but she knew how much pressure being the heir of Lucis caused Noctis.
‘One day, I will tell him.’ She would constantly tell herself every time she was about to tell him.
They had conversations about the future. They discussed running away and living in a house surrounded by flowers with one or two children. Both of them wanted to have daughters but neither of them could agree on the name of their fabricated children. Being away from all the pressures and stress of being public figures and having the freedom of living their lives how they wanted. They even discussed running away and getting eloped. A large, very public wedding would have been great but it was something that neither of them wanted. Of course, these were all just dreams and words on a page because that could never truly become a reality no matter how much either of them wanted it. They both had duties that they could not run from; Lunafreya being the Oracle and Noctis taking the throne of Lucis. Despite this, they talked about these dreams and wants. If you were to ask Lunafreya what her relationship with Noctis was, she would most likely describe him as someone she cared about dearly. It was not conventional in any way, but secretly they considered each other to be dating. It would seem insane to anyone from the outside looking in, but neither of them lived normal lives to start with.
Lunafreya stared out at the starry night that laid outside her window. Despite the city being full of buildings, there was actually a very clear view of the night sky. That was something that she was not used to since she had no access to windows in the Empire. Being in Lucis really was a contrast to her life that she had come to know in Niflheim. Even the weather was a complete contrast; it was cold, dreary, and devoid of life whereas Lucis was warm, peaceful and full of life. It had only been a few hours and she felt more at home than she had felt in years. The one thing that she did wish was that there would be more greenery. Lunafreya closed her eyes and willed herself to go to sleep; silently praying that when she woke up, Noctis would be there. It may not be today, or even tomorrow, but she truly hoped that the dreams that she and Noctis shared would come true one day.