[He’s patient while X’rhun roots around in his bag, but his eager curiosity is betrayed by how deftly fingers pluck up the parchment, amber eyes roving over its contents. Immediately, he recognizes that well-rendered face; the artist did a rather good job of capturing the young prince’s beleaguered, tiredly resigned expression.

There’s no hiding his surprise, eyes widening before his brow furrows. Perhaps the first sincere expression pulled out of Ardyn since X’rhun found him in that dusty tomb — no shock that it would be Noctis, or the footprint he’s left behind in this world, to cause it.

He deigns not to reply, not until he’s read the copy accompanying the article. And as he takes in each and every line, that same surprise transitions into a smile, slowly pulling at the corners of his mouth as if brought up by a thin thread. Wry, a little cold. The amusement in his reply seems to match.]

Ah, the King himself — or I suppose just a little lost prince at the time, if he’s hoping to return home to his still-breathing fiance, ha! But dear Noctis visited your star long before I did? He never mentioned it, that much is for certain.

[He places the article down on the table again, looking across at X’rhun with an inscrutable gaze.]

I suppose I’m just following a precedent, then. Maybe this place has a preference for those with Lucis Caelum blood in their veins.

[mentally: what the fuck]